I pace around the dark valley of the Abyss landscape… my sky blue eyes a huge contrast to my surroundings….
I look around…
Trying to find a way to little Philip…
Yet….
There's no hope….
But I could analyse my surroundings and find a path to the nearest settlement…
I pick up a dead twig with trembling hope…. my eyes closing slowly as I try to recall the layout of this foreign yet familiar land… my hands move instinctively…. While I start drawing the map of the Abyss from my memory…
I used to draw the Abyss many times as a teenager…
Its map is engraved within my heart as if it is my home…
The only sound that was heard…. was the screeching of the dead wood against the hard dark soil…
I open my eyes again….
And lower my gaze towards the map I have drawn on the ground…
I sit down…
Analysing my surroundings…. I then realise my location… based on the trees arches…
I am in the north western area of this hellish world…
Yet I point at the south eastern side on the map…
For thirteen year old me confused directions so much that I drew the map normally but named the districts with opposite names…
I truly was stupid…
While sighing at my past mistakes….
I hear a twig snap…
I flinch….
Turning my head towards the sound source…
Out of the shadows… three short figures step into my point of view…
The grip on my weak dead twig tightened as if it could protect me against any threat…
I glare at them…
A hundred forty five centimeter dwarf guy with a long white beard lifts both of his hands up as a sign of peace and harmony….
"Sir… she drew the map of this place in detail…" says one of the three in awe and suspicion while inspecting my drawing carefully so as not to destroy it…
"How?!?" A taller dwarf about hundred fifty centimeters gasps his red eyes wide in disbelief…
"Her soul hasn't been corrupted yet…" the old man whispers in observation…
"I don't know… I found it like this…" I lie trying to get away from their sharp stares…
"Human child… we have been watching you the entire time…" the old man answered with a warm chuckle…
My sky blue eyes widen….
"Don't fret… we are here since you have their scent on you…" the old dwarf man steps closer his hands still raised…
"What relation do you have with UNKNOWN….?" the dwarven woman with ginger hair grabs me by my shoulders…
I shake my head in annoyance…
"Do you know Martha the snail lady…?" I counter back the question at her…
She frowns…
"How dare you—" the ginger headed dwarf fumes in anger at my casual tone…
"So you are after the scout… you must have followed her into a gate…" the white bearded dwarf smiles as he sees me let out a little energy of shock…
How did he come up to the right conclusion in such a short amount of time…?
I must be careful for he is a dangerous sly old man…
"Yet one question lingers… how do you know the Abyss so much?" Suddenly the old dwarf's warm aura disappears replaced by a threatening scent…
My breath hitches… my fingers trembling… as I try to regain my composure….
"Let's make haste… this area will be infected soon…" the old man returns to his smiling self and grabs my wrist…
"I was about to head south…" I point to the north…
The old dwarf smirks intrigued by my knowledge of the Abyssal customs…
Yet…
He stays quiet…
We then head to the nearest settlement up north…
As the dark gates of the fortress like settlement open with an agonising creek….
The residents stare at me with eyes full of envy and suspicion…
I stay walking….
My thought stream overwhelmed by everything…
Who are these dwarves….?
I don't remember them…
And the old one is quite observant….
I am in big trouble…
I slap my cheeks in order to focus better….
We reach the market…
Many merchants yell and shout about their stock… the stock was the most intriguing…. From ancient relics… and game-boys which are no longer functional… to….
Illegal thoughts….
Oh my my my….
I basically jump out of my skin in excitement as we stop in front of the stall…
This product is basically a type of pills which a person takes in order to awaken philosophies of famous writers and philosophers…. As soon as the person awakens they receive unique powers mostly non combat… based on the pill they have taken… yet there lays a danger with this product… if the customer doesn't awaken they will suffer from eternal confusion and existential crisis…. which the chance of awakening is below forty precent… that is why it's called… illegal thoughts….
The merchant realises my interest…. He grins widely…
"You look like an expert in using these pills…" the merchant says "do you want me to check how many illegal thoughts you consumed…?" He suggests as he picks up the thought meter…
"Sure…." I nod reluctantly…
The dwarf group beside me smirk….
The merchant holds up the device and starts it… he then gasps in pure disbelief…
"How is it hundred precent?!?" The merchant's fingers tremble anxiously he looks up at me then back down at the device…
"So not only is your soul unaffected by the Abyss… your thoughts are fully awakened as well…." The white bearded dwarf places his hand on his beard stroking it thoughtfully….
"It's nothing special…" I try to defend myself in order not to bring suspicion…
The taller dwarf takes out a pouch of tier 3 monster fangs and hands it to the merchant…
"Don't mention this to anyone…" the taller dwarf warns the merchant…
The merchant bows with respect…
We then leave the bustling market behind…
And head to a secluded alley…
I follow them reluctantly…
My eyes darting around frantically…
I look up at the crimson hellish sky my heart thumps in excitement….
I am actually in the Abyss…
In my own world…
In the realm of the between…
I follow the dwarves into a dark looking stone building….