Curiosity

It was strange, the squishy and slimy insides of the flesh making contact with his skin could still be vividly recalled by him.

Those eyes, tongue,strands of hair and mouth all brushed against him and as disgusting as it sounds,Cassian didn't find it weird nor uncomfortable.

Those were his ancestors and saviours and he felt a certain familiarity with them, as one would have with their family.

That made it sound even weirder.

He trudged through the fog, careful steps to not lose balance, the fog was blowing his opposite direction and it was quite aggressive.

He was completely surrounded by fog, his barrier shrank and fog swallowed everything around him, it was hard to determine their current location.

His two hands were occupied, one holding onto Callon while the other held onto Sero.

Days have passed during their time inside the temple..no maybe weeks.

They were still on the uncharted area judging by the barren ground and their food rations which they buried was hard to locate.

No it was impossible due to the fog's condition by now.

A pitch black axe with a wooden handle was tied onto his waist belt, it was the loot he got from the guardian.

Well he didn't really take it by himself, the flesh tossed it at him during his fall through the tunnel.

That's the only thing he obtained.

What did he lose?

Elgor died alongside Cassian trust with him.

His mind was exhausted, the existential crisis and that date worse than death won't be leaving his memories anytime soon.

No, it is etched into his mind, showing how truly weak he is, when he stared into their eyes he didn't see a reflection of a man who will carve a legacy of legends instead he saw a scared and inexperienced boy chasing his futile dreams.

It was truly a reality check and it showed him the extreme version of it.

Elgor's death didn't really give him a big blow,

His respect for the man vanished the moment he was feasting on his body like a rabid dog.

Compared to his gains, his losses outclassed them.

This reality check was brutal but that isn't going to stop him is it?

He doesn't mind dying as long as it can paint him in a light of legend.

Conquering and exploring the lands of no returns is just a means, it isn't his goal.

So he can turn back right?

He can make a name out for himself through other ways right? How about a cook? His food was exceptionally rated during his times as a kid or how about a knight? Yeah they won't care about his inferior lineage and would make him one.

Holy knights also seems like a good option, he is a zealous blind idiot, isn't he?

They all sound pathetic right?

Cassian at first saw the lands of no returns as a way to become a legend.

His curiosity also played a part in it but it didn't influence him too much.

But now?

Those cryptic words said by those guardians,

Those pillars filled with ancient languages and those tongues speaking words long erased by history and time made something awaken in him.

Something primal, something that won't change in humans no matter what form they take or what way they live.

He awakened his-

Curiosity.

He will explore the lands of no returns and pry open its secrets.

The fog won't blind his curios eyes, those beasts won't fill his stomach hungry for knowledge, he has decided it and no changes would be made ever again.

Cassian would chase this dream no matter how much he fails and how futile it seems.

He started with legacy alongside curiosity and it is still the same goal but with a bit more realisation.

He still pursues legacy it's just that his curiosity grew alongside and it felt like less of an obligation and more interesting.

********

The walking through the fog was silent, Callon's hand gently gripped Cassian's and his other hand gripped onto his wandering soul.

Losing Elgor didn't really put a toll on his mind it just meant less mouth to feed and considering that the food rations are not able to be located it was fortunate that Elgor died.

The stench from the blood well didn't leave them, it followed them as a haunting ghost and honestly Callon couldn't care less.

He escaped and that's all that mattered, he knew Cassian wouldn't snitch so his reputation is saved for now.

'Should I leave him to his accords or should I shift the blame?'

He didn't want to leave any loose ends.

Maybe Cassian's career may end due to Elgor's popularity as a senior dwarven adventurer but how does that have anything to do with innocent Callon who accidentally saw Cassian eating Elgor for his survival?

It was a hard decision, one wrong move and the truth would be exposed, honestly it was Elgor's fault and even if it fell on them, the burden would be equally shared but Callon wants a complete escape not a cracked reputation.

He even gave Cassian the axe back when Cassian gave it to him as a kind gesture.

His current issue being whether to shift the blame or act as if he and Elgor never met.

He and Elgor left during the mourning fest where security was on all time high and they definitely saw him leave with Elgor.

He can only shift the blame to escape the taint unless he has a false alibi.

His eyes widened a bit when he thought about it, he also had the perfect candidate for it.

He stared at the human hand he was clutching onto.

Maybe the small amount of camaraderie they had during their time inside the temple influenced this decision but it was better than the risk of framing Cassian as a scapegoat.

Cassian would be his alibi, Elgor seperated from him and he joined Cassian, after that they haven't met any dwarf known as Elgor.

Thats a simple yet decent plan.

Although he likes benefits he isn't something that only does things for benefits sometimes,

He would trust his heart and emotions too.

A genuine smile bloomed on his face as he further perfected his plan inside his head.

********

I marched through the lands, my sore legs healing in a matter of seconds, even a fatal injury would only take two minutes to heal by now.

Pain or the concept of long time injury left my system long ago.

My abrupt change from a normal human to a regenerating freak was not unwelcomed.

But it was strange indeed.

I gasped when I lost feeling with the ground, no the ground became as soft as clouds, my feet sinked and the fog became more violent.

It turned into a typhoon with me and Callon in the centre, Sero and Callon's wandering souls were unaffected by material objects.

The typhoon stretched towards the heavens as if it was pillar connecting that earth and heaven but it quickly collapsed.

It collapsed onto us, our vision blurring with colour we didn't know even existed.

We successfully left the uncharted area and entered a new area, hopefully a safe zone or an already explored zone.

The sensation of sinking through the clouds felt addicting, the most comfortable surface I have ever touched.

And thus my journey through the uncharted area of demons came to an end.