[ ––––––––– ֎ Day 112 ––––––––– ]

After three weeks spent in the hydraling's lair, the party returned back to the cave where Hyacinth lost his hands.

Their next plan was simple. Noemi would lead the way and attach the rope between the points of resurfacing. Other divers would move along the marked line on the signal, which was pulling the rope four times.

Reaching the first two checkpoints required no effort, with a single exception, Arath.

The boy emerged from the water, coughing and gasping for air. His lungs were burning.

“Miserable condition. You should start to exercise.” - Noemi commented.

The path to the third light beam was obstructed by a pack of long and curly, mono-leaf plants.

Arath was the last person in the line. He noticed that weeds were actually attracted to heat, but were too sluggish to touch anyone in the front, so nobody else noticed. The boy was too far behind to catch up before the leaves started blocking the way in front of him and the way back was already completely obstructed.

Arath felt that one of the leaves yanked his ankle, so with no hesitation, he pulled out a pocket knife and turned back, cutting through thick, green leaves that tried to entangle his legs. He managed to free himself and quickened his pace, desperate to escape, but it was to no avail. One of the leaves captured his wrist and wouldn't let go, no matter how much strength Arath would put into ripping it apart.

The boy was immobilized in no time, his narrow vision of escape route gradually disappeared, leaving only the green mass in sight. Arath's last memory was vanishing silhouettes of his companions. The weeds wrapped themselves tightly around the victim's nose, eyes, neck, and finally mouth. Arath's consciousness soon faded.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Noemi never waited for her companions to arrive. Instead, she re-dove to help Hyacinth and Pavaja to arrive at their destination.

The girl swam up to the Pavaja and grabbed Hyacinth under an armpit, but noticed that there was a blur of green in spot where Arath was supposed to be. Noemi looked at Pavaja and pointed there. The elf understood the lizard's gesticulation and let go of Hyacinth for a moment to give Noemi her estoc.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Pavaja helped Noemi to carry Arath out of water. He was wrapped in the leaves like a mummy. Noemi tore leaves off Arath's face in hurry.

Arath wasn't moving for a spare second, then took a deep breath and started breathing steadily and loud.

“Is everything alright?” - Noemi asked, slightly worried.

Arath was still stabilizing his breath, so he just looked at Noemi and nodded.

“That's enough for me.” - Arath spoke after a few seconds. - “I need a break.”

“Okay.” - Noemi replied while kneeling next to Arath and freeing him by cutting leaves with her knife. - “It's tightly in here, but we can stay for a moment.”

Noemi looked around, the chamber differed from the two previous rooms, it was not only in greater size but also had a slanted ceiling with equally slanted chimneys. Contrary to previous shelters, where rocky pipes were vertical, the middle of openings here was large enough for a crawling person to fit.

“Amazing...” - Noemi uttered and knelt in front of a hole, she planned to go up. - “I'll check what lies in front of us, please wait for me.”

The girl lowered on all fours, the surface was wet enough for a human to slip down, but Noemi possessed sharp talons and nails, so it wasn't an issue. An aperture at the end of the chimney was narrow, but for someone as lean as Noemi, it was possible to barely squeeze through, when without any equipment.

Noemi curiously stuck her head outside and realized that she had found herself a few meters over the highest hill one a lone isle. If she wanted to, she could've easily climbed down with a rope.

In front of an isle were wide waters with ruins of a collapsed, submerged bridge. Only its farther end was above the level of water. It led to another island on top of which ruins of the ancient city were situated.

On top of that, about a dozen meters in front of Noemi, was the center of the gargantuan landmark in form of a lone collapsed, cave-sized column that adventurers had seen at the beginning of their journey.

Noemi looked below. There was a pebbly beach at the base of her gravelly hill. It was swarmed by land-nautiluses and palaps – species which resembled a shorter and fatter crocodile with a large hump.

As the waves were crashing against the shore, washed off sands revealed a field of black spikes. As palaps dragged their prey to water, their soft bellies would be lacerated by urchins and a crimson trail of their nutritious blood would allow the colony to thrive.

Noemi returned, glad of her discovery. She had a desire to make a sketch of the location, but her notebook was currently wrapped in tightly tied leaves.

“Hey, you're back! What was up there?” - Hyacinth asked, eager to find out.

“We are halfway through! The next stop is the ruins of a city!” - Noemi explained. - “The cave ends there.”

“A city?” - Hyacinth responded. - “Then, judging from our earlier discoveries, it must be inhabited.”

“Yes, by heretics that defiled the shrine of Issandre.” - Pavaja added. - “They are likely to be hostile, we must prepare to kill.”

“No!” - Noemi protested. - “Don't even think about it!”

Pavaja was surprised. - “What do you mean?”

“I won't allow murder.” - Noemi replied, irritated.

“...but they are heretics.” - Pavaja uttered.

“Heretics or not, murder is wrong!” - Noemi shouted.

“I was trained my whole life to slay heretics. It's my god's will.” - Pavaja argued. - “Are you telling me these teachings are wrong!?”

“What are you speaking about?”- Noemi couldn't believe it. - “Gods would never...” - She turned and asked. - “Hyacinth? You too?”

“Yes... but allow me to clarify.” - Hyacinth explained. - “Heretics make amends for their blasphemous acts or convert are exempted from punishment. However, If we are by any means attacked by a heretic, we're allowed to kill in self-defense.”

“...is that your god? The god who gave you powers...? He allows to kill?” - Noemi couldn't accept it.

“Yes, he does, but it's often kill or be killed.” - Hyacinth persuaded.

“No, it's violence breeds violence.” - Noemi spoke with conviction.

“Noemi...” - Hyacinth didn't give up. - “...as Pavaja told you, it's god's will. Who are you to oppose it?”

“If that's what you call 'god', then by 'god' we mean different things.” - Noemi replied.

“...we might.” - Pavaja responded, in a bit sour mood. - “Do you really plan to climb the labyrinth without killing a single person?”

“I do.” - Noemi didn't yield.

“There will come a day when...” - Pavaja started speaking.

“Pavaja, it's enough.” - Hyacinth interrupted here. - “Noemi, we don't share your beliefs, but we respect them... but what do you suggest we do?”

“I suggest we find a way to sneak past.” - Arath replied before Noemi, in his opinion, said something stupid.

“Hey! Don't interrupt. They asked me.” - Noemi exclaimed and said it anyway. - “We can teach these heretics the right way.”

“I prefer Araths plan.” - Hyacinth responded.

“Me too.” - Pavaja agreed.

Noemi pouted. - “Fine! But I have one question for you both.”

Pavaja and Hyacinth looked at Noemi.

“Did you ever kill a person?” - Noemi asked.

Pavaja and Hyacinth looked at each other and both replied - “No.”

“Then, whatever happens, it must stay this way.” - Noemi demanded.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

The dive to the fourth stop was unsuccessful. Noemi was stopped by a pack of electric eels that lived in the tunnel's crevices. It was difficult to strike a flexible opponent, who so far evaded every single of Noemi's thrusts. Although the girl returned defeated, Pavaja knew a good solution. She was in possession of labyrinth items, which was an explosive orb that produced a zone of cold.

Noemi dove again, this time prepared. She pierced an orb with her nail, then pushed it under the crevice where eels had a nest. Eels left their hole to fend off the intruder and their skin was immediately frozen under a thin layer of ice. As result, the advantage of superior underwater mobility ceased to exist, Noemi dealt with the issue in no time and the party arrived at the last stop before the end of a tunnel.

Noemi dove one last time and arrived right under the beam of light, then simply swam upwards and emerged from the water.

To her surprise, there was no way to progress ahead.

Noemi looked around, her sixth sense was telling her that something is off. Stone walls were replaced by a veined, pulsating surface in the combination of green and red and they secreted a golden slime parallel to a resin.

Noemi lifted her head and looked at the source of light. It weren't the bioluminescent plants, but very similar white bioluminescent bubbles attached to the roof of this place.

Noemi's instincts weren't wrong, she has realized that she was inside a living thing. It was a giant tunneling nepenthe, a species that mimicked caves. She was ankle-deep in its gastric fluids.

The girl returned to the water, planning to deliver the information, but her path was now blocked by a closed maw made of six brown, rough and thick, triangular leaves. It was impossible to pierce the thing with a spear, so Noemi had no other option than to insert her palms in a small gap between the leaves, where the rope was, and to tug the rope three times.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Noemi looked for another way out, but the walls of nepenthe were impossible to pierce with a spear and to cut with her dull knife. Still, Noemi wouldn't give up and scanned the creature for weak spots.

She looked at the maw once again and noticed that one of the leaves is falling off. It was Arath with his scalpel.

Noemi helped the boy to get out of the water and asked. - “How did manage to cut through it? I've already tried and failed!”

“You need a sharper blade and to cut it at its base. Also, the flesh outside is softer.” - Arath responded as he began to inspect the interior of nepenthe. - “Is it a dead end?”

“No, there's a space behind it, I've checked.” - Noemi replied. - “It might be the exit that we're looking for.”

“Got it.” - Arath responded, sat down, and pulled out a small box with replacement blades for his scalpel.

“Arath, one request!” - Noemi spoke while the boy is busy. - “Let me call Pavaja and Hyacinth first. Don't start before they are here, it might be dangerous outside.”

“Acknowledged.” - Arath replied, then stood up and started examining the flesh from up close.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Nepenthe’s sac gave in after six deep cuts, the whole structure deflated and its green juices spilled out on the dirt outside.

The party found themselves in a cave located just below the bridge, on its right side. Although the exit was above water level, the surrounding areas were submerged to knee's depth. The location outside was an outermost section of the city. Its collapsed houses were made of cyan stone and there were weak traces of yellow ornaments and paint.

Arath exchanged his weapon with Hyacinth, since the straps on the claw would still fit. Both girls were in the front and combat-ready.

The adventurers traveled across the streets that used to be residences of slaves. Occasionally, they would spot rune inscriptions made out of blood or territorial marks similar in function to what Noemi found at the first layer, but made out of shells, fins, dried algae, and skulls of nautiluses.

After reaching one of the larger houses, Pavaja suddenly stopped.

“Wait...” - She whispered. - “Hide!”

Everyone moves inside the home, hiding behind walls.

Two humanoid, fish silhouettes leisurely passed by, uttering sentences in an unknown language. Their equipment was as primitive as that of troglodytes and consisted of spears made out of weed, stone daggers, shortbows, and stone arrows. Each of the scouts had a few fresh fishes tied to a waist, which served as a snack. Each time beasts opened their mouths to speak, they revealed rows of unclean, sharp teeth, typical for a piranha. Although creatures had gills on the sides of their neck, they also possessed a pair of lungs.

Fish-men disappeared after a few minutes of waiting.

“Can anyone understand what they were saying?” - Hyacinth wondered, but he knew from reactions and lack of response that the answer is negative.

“It's not ancient.” - Noemi mentioned.

“I was pretty confident that there exist only three languages.” - Hyacinth responded. - “Sacred, ancient and common.”

“Good point. I might be wrong, but I don't think those are labyrinth challengers” - Noemi replied. - “Their equipment is too primitive and I've never met a single person speaking a language other than common.”

“I agree with Noemi, something fishy is going on around here.” - Pavaja added. - “All these bloody inscriptions and totems, they're much like traditions of barbaric nations.”

“We should wait until a nightfall and pass stealthily when they're asleep.” - Hyacinth suggested. - “It's the safest way.”