Ellen the Generous
Hold!
Two royal guards clad in armor and spears blocked the way inside the building. The crisscrossed spears obstructing the entrance scared Jiggy out of his wits.
"Oh my God! I'm innocent! What have I done?" Jiggy immediately halted his steps with questioning eyes.
He unknowingly raised both of his hands, ready to surrender and accept whatever crimes the guards would charge.
The gentleman, who witnessed the scene as he rushed from behind, didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.
"Hello traveler!" greeted the thick-browed man as he scrutinized Jiggy.
"I am Lingo! Looking at your stature, I bet that the route you have taken by far is the most direct way of mastering the art of words and letters."
With knitted brows, Jiggy turned his head to catch a glimpse of the speaking guy. "The heck is this guy saying?" He inwardly complained.
"Manager," the two guards politely greeted the gentleman in black suit.
"The Adventurer's Guild prohibits the entry of non-professionals. Only those who steeled themselves to venture the path of life and death shall be allowed access of our services. Based on my understanding of your circumstances, I believe that you have the potential to explore the undiscovered lands, uncover the mysterious realms and unmap the vast continent."
Lingo crossed his arm and continued, "You have just started your journey. The conversations and interactions you had until you reached this place prove that you are born to be an adventurer."
"Lad, if you want to learn the path of battle and destruction through hand-to-hand combat and weapons, visit the Weapon Master living three blocks when you turn right at the corner of that street," Lingo said pointing his fingers to the distant junction.
"Be it a mace or an axe, a sword or a spear, shurikens or katana, the weapon you wield is up to your will." Lingo added.
The manager rubbed his chin then continued, "If you wish to learn incantation and magical arts, go to the tallest tower, the WAO Magic Institute, located at the West of this village. There you can learn elemental skill sets based on the magician's researches for the past 100 years."
"But if you believe that the pen is mightier than the sword, that the heart is meant to be broken by words, or that action speaks louder with words, I can help you find your path as I believe that it is fate that wills us to meet here." The lips of Lingo slowly curved up into a smile.
Without further thinking, Jiggy chose the path of words.
"The game is named Word Art Online. Why would I bother with magic and weapons?" He rolled his eyes as a red exclamation mark flickered in his sight.
[Class Change Quest: Searching for the Word Master]
Lingo properly explained, "For every word there are lies, and for every lies, there are truths. If today is tomorrow's past, how would you be certain that the history is true?"
"The village has several word masters. Majority of them were regarded as gossipers. They love to gossip and blather from morning 'til night, talking about someone's child or even someone's wife. If you really wish to traverse the path of words..." The manager paused before continuing,
"...with your small affinity gained from the villagers, try to unravel the mysteries behind Chiqui's death nine years ago." Lingo quoted fervently.
In a short while, another notification popped up on Jiggy's screen:
[Note: Gossip is not just a mere storytelling passed by word of mouth. It is a mysterious art that can twist the truth making the fallacies acceptable and the truth indiscernible. The art of gossiping has been practiced by the villagers eons ago. Wherever the buzzing gossips will lead you, remember that beyond fallacies and twisted lies, there is always a single fact hidden that you will never see with your eyes.]
Quest Difficulty: F
Quest Reward: Word Artist Profession, +50 XP
Without hesitation, Jiggy accepted the quest. He bade farewell and promised to register as an adventurer once he obtained his profession.
"Who the hell is Chiqui, anyway?" With a gloomy face, Jiggy retraced his steps back to the village square.
The first question that popped out of Jiggy's mind was of course, Chiqui's identity.
Lingo's girlfriend?
Lingo's wife?
Lingo's maid?
Or maybe concubine?
Jiggy solemnly ponder as he once again revisited the shops and chatted with the villagers. He even listened to the blaberring mouth of the by-standers as they ranted something about life.
Jiggy tried hard listening in every strangers' conversation hoping to find clues of whoever knew Chiqui's what-abouts.
"Chiqui? Was it the orc captured from the woods during the summer nine years ago? If I remembered correctly, she was later stoned to death by the locals due to committing a grave crime? I'm not really fond of gossips but tell you what? I chanced to witness the stoning act. It was so chilling and brutal. Whenever I remembered that inhumane deed by the villagers, I always feel shivers run down my spine!" Narrated Justin the Big Bear as he reminisced the sufferings of the pitiful soul.
"I'm a half-human half-bear! Who knows whether later on it would be my time to come?" Justin added.
"I remembered, that from that day onward, the new village elder, Scrolls, decreed that such violent punishment would not be carried ever again!"
"Oh I really felt better after that! Do you know that it was found out, Chiqui was the prime suspect for the disappearance of one of the villagers? I can't remember who it was, but that time when I saw her, I'm sure there were bloodstains on the orc's armor as well as some drying red tint on her lips. I bet it's the truth that the orc is a man-eating monster! It took me several months before I got freed of that nightmare in my dreams! I don't want to be eaten! I still want to live!" Justin's father hastily interjected.
Jiggy absent-mindedly left Justin's lottery. He was digesting the information he heard from the father and son and even took notes of the statements using the paper and pen he bought in a nearby supplies store.
Retracing back his steps, Jiggy arrived at the door of Harry's Ceramics store.
"Chiqui? Wasn't she the daughter of one of the locals here in the hidden village? As far as I know, her family got into a feud with some loan sharks and had their house decimated to nothingness." Harry the Potter's response was similar to what the Supply Store Manager knew about the so-called Chiqui.
"Arson was the cause of her death. She and her seven family members got roasted due to money-related problems. If I remembered correctly, their home used to be where Ma Ling's restaurant was now constructed." Harry further narrated.
"Such beautiful child but miserable fate. Tsk tsk." Jiggy heard just as he arrived at the doorsteps before finally leaving the ceramics store.
Chiqui (orc): caught in the woods, man-eater, stoned to death
Chiqui (human): a villager, no family members left, burned to death
A plump old woman wearing doble-vista glasses was strolling by.
She heard Jiggy inquiring about the matter of a certain Chiqui and with the power of tsimis vested in her, she interjected, "Oh Heavens! That poor Chiqui! I don't know if it's right for me to tell you this, but that girl was really pitiful. Well, she was not a human to begin with. There were stories of her hunting in the woods alone or even with her family. No one knew what they did in the woods but heck, I believe they were some sort of merciless creatures with a secret hideout there."
A confused expression was drawn on Jiggy's face.
"Where did this talking meatball came from?"His brows knitted down and a dark curved line was painted on his forehead.
The woman shook her head together with her jiggling plump fats before warning Jiggy, "You better not investigate this matter though. And avoid venturing deep into the woods; many have tried unraveling the truth but only a few of them returned unscathed but discovered nothing."
"She always wear a gorgeous smile but heck, such a beautiful creature seems to be a devil's incarnate in sheep's clothing!" The woman exclaimed in disgust.
Jiggy was at lost.
He got some clues but this meatball denied the existence of Chiqui as a human being.
Jiggy felt his bangs ache. He knew he was very far from the truth. He looked at his notes to summarized his findings:
Chiqui was either a human or not a human, Chiqui might be an orc.
Chiqui was either stoned or burned to death.
Chiqui had some secrets left deep in the woods.
Chiqui always went to the woods.
Chiqui had no family members left alive.
After some more lively and colorful conversations, Jiggy found out that the so-called Chiqui's home was really situated at the now established Ma Ling's restaurant.
Jiggy visited Ma Ling once again to clear his doubts.
"Chiqui, eh? I don't know any villager called Chiqui. Besides, I arrived here in the village and built this restaurant exactly 9 years ago hence the locals are more knowledgeable than me. I'm really not fond of gossips anyway. I always spend my life in the kitchen perfecting my dish. But if you have time, you can visit Ellen, the manager of the bank and the charity near the central plaza. She's the most reliable person I have ever known and so far, the most generous one, whether you need money or information you can always visit her," Ma Ling suggested.
Sigh…
Jiggy exhaled a deep breath. He was not aware of the power of words.
How far can gossips spread?
How twisted can stories go?
How do I filter the right and the wrong?
Tap… Tap… Tap…
In front of Jiggy was a large enclosed tent. He unknowingly stepped inside while he was pondering the truth about Chiqui's death.
There were mirrors on the two sides of the tent. At the center was a sturdy wooden table, carved with exquisite tulips and roses. Atop the table was a deck of cards and in the middle was a crystal ball. On the right side of the table, twelve small figurines depicting the different zodiac species were displayed.
"Greetings traveler! It might be fate that brought you here. I am Nostradamus, a master of fate." The 50ish bearded man greeted eloquently.
Jiggy nodded in reply to the greetings.
The man was in full white clothing, except for the green silk turban covering his head and the shawl covering his neck.
As the fortune-teller sat gracefully facing his crystal ball, he drew a card and gasped exaggeratedly, "Hap! Youuu..." with his fingers pointing towards Jiggy, Nostradamus exclaimed, "You are investigating about death!"
The fortune-teller's eyes widened in shock as he carefully examined the handsome youth in front of him.
With his eyes glistening, he flipped a card,
Flip, "a girl!"
Flip, "dark bushy forest"
Flip, "stone"
Flip, "fire"
With a questioning look, Jiggy walked slowly toward the fortune-teller. Even though he was getting more and more confused of his findings, Jiggy inwardly praised the old man's attainment in divination.
If he was to grade it, it was ...PERFECT!
What Nostradamus mentioned were all what he discovered. But even though Jiggy was amazed, he finally asked himself,
So what?
Seeing that the handsome youth was showing an incredulous look, Nostradamus put his hands over the crystal ball and gently rubbed it in circular motion,
AN-NA-SU-MA-NA-RA...
AN-NA-SU-MA-NA-RA...
AN-NA-SU-MA-NA-RA...
Nostradamus chanted as a clear image depicting an elegant food restaurant decorated with Chinese lanterns and paper balls appeared in the ball.
With disdain, Jiggy flashed a smirk demeaning the old man, "Mr. Fortune-teller, all your results were similar to my findings. So my question is, how did Chiqui met her end?" The annoyed Jiggy could not bear wasting time anymore.
The old man smiled and calmly explained, "The girl you are looking for has long been dead. She lived a long time in the woods until she was stoned and she was burned. Be it a wandering soul or a resentful ghost, not a sliver of her soul remained on this continent. You may find the answer in Ma Ling's restaurant but you will never find the truth from there."
With a smile hanging on his pale dry lips, a hoarse voice resounded once again, "Traveler, if you want to know the truth, let me lead you to the light through the paths in your hands."
Jiggy unwillingly handed his right palm to the stranger.
"I never asked for your service, this is free isn't it?" asked Jiggy.
"Of course, of course, Young Master! Absolutely free of charge!" Nostradamus gleefully replied as excitedly rubbed his hands.
The old man slowly traced the M lines on Jiggy's palm.
A few minutes later... two hands were carefully kneading Jiggy's palm.
Shortly after... two hands were aggressively caressing Jiggy's arm.
"Whadaf*ck!"
In the spur of the moment, Jiggy instantly appeared out of the old man's tent. Without looking back, he hastily left and turned right in the corner.
He felt his hairs stood straight...
He saw it... he was sure of it...
Those perverted eyes...
That disgusting tongue...
It was a clear image of apocalypse when the old man started wetting his broken lips...
Jiggy almost puked liters of blood as he recalled the moments with the crazy perverted man. He briskly walked through the alleyway until he reached the building where Ellen stayed.
"Congratulations traveler! For you to have reached this stage, I admire you for your hardwork, perseverance and eloquence."
"Life's journey is not just about actions. In reality, it's also about words. To unravel the mystery, you walked and visited places, you talked and consulted with people, you deduced and thought of possibilities, but sometimes it is not enough for you to learn the truth."
"Who is Chicky? It was exactly nine years when she arrived from the woods. She was feeble but strong-willed. Year 20XX (n-9), people caught her panting as she was being chased by a boar. She almost died but she survived. The boar was trashed and killed, while Chicky escaped the call of the Underworld only by a hair's breath."
Together with Ellen the Generous' narrative, a video replaying the past was played in Jiggy's memory.
"Chicky was not a human. She's a free-ranged beast. She always went to the woods to look for worms and went back home when the dark clouds formed. Chicky was the epitome of freedom, but her life didn't last long."
"One hot summer noon, the village was bustling with joyous activity. It was the period of time for the village to honor the god of harvest, Demeter. All villagers were busy preparing while several children were playing."
The video showed the scene as the truth slowly unfolded.
Dug... dug... dug...
Sounds of footsteps were heard. The recording's point-of-view changed to a little adorable girl.
It was at that moment that the girl, with her twin-pig tails, drew her slingshot and released the krak... cracked stone.
Swoosh!!!
HEADSHOT!
"Chicky died. No one knows it at that time except the girl and her parents. The girl's family had a sumptuous meal with the roasted chicken as the main course dish." Ellen subconsciously licked her lips as she reminisced the events of the past.
"Yes, that child was my daughter. Chicky died but not for naught. Dying with a purpose is better than dying without cause, isn't it?" Ellen laughed enthusiastically.
"Oh and I remember! As the Elder loved Chicky like his own children, Scrolls prohibited the use of slingshot within the village premises. The plot of land where Chiqui stayed was sold to the Ma's and later on became the famous restaurant."
"And that, my dear, is the secret life of the stoned-roasted-Chicky. Remember, she's Chicky not Chiqui."
Ellen concluded.
'You have completed the quest.'
'+50 Experience Points received.'
'You have gained the profession: Word Artist'
'You have learned
'You have learned
'You have gained a Title: More than Words'
'You have...'
A series of notifications rung in Jiggy's ears.
***
In a rainbow-colored tent, a few meters from the children's playground, a man freely dancing in the air was happily rubbing his hands on his face.
♪ ♫ ♬ Come and hold my hand
♪ ♫ ♬ I want to contact the living
♪ ♫ ♬ Not sure I understand
♪ ♫ ♬ This role I've been given
La... la... la...
He was tired. But he was happy.
On his way to the salon, he met a gorgeous man.
"Is this love at first sight?" His heart almost leaped out of his chest.
Dugdug... dugdug...
He followed the man... to the store... to the store... to the store... to the store...
Regardless of how many stores, he blindly followed him.
Regardless of how repetitive his queries, he listened to him.
It was the first since his heart bled and broke yesterday.
"I hope tomorrow we will meet again."
Nostradamus... it was his name.
In reality, it was just a name. A name he read a few seconds before he went back to his tent.
As for his real name, who cares?
He can't even remember it himself.