Vyswe'eyaga's image ripples away from the surface of the mirror, and the only thing that can now be seen is the grim reflection on my face. I blow air through my nostrils as I stand on my feet and put away the mirror in my back pocket.
"Were you serious about what you said earlier?" I turn my gaze to Azikiwe, who is leaning against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. He glances over the wall, certainly making sure none of those cloaked individuals is within earshot, before looking back at me with a very unhappy expression. "Are we really going to start searching for Ewa and the other guy right now?"
I observe him for a moment before saying, "That's the plan, yes."
He frowns, then says in a barely subdued tone, "You do know how utterly ridiculous that sounds, right? So, Vyswe'eyaga asks us to go on a blind search in an unknown territory, creeping with suspicious—and potentially dangerous—people, and you would just agree? Are you out of your mind, Kayin?"
"Yes, yes, and no," I answer, and it seems to irritate him even more.
But I get where he is coming from; after all, we just barely escaped from that towering giant. Cold sweats run down my spine at the mere of him. It was the first time in my life, I believe, that I felt such abject fear and a sense of impending doom. Had it not been for the spirit lady… I shudder at the thought of what would have become of us.
"Then, do you expect us to just abandon the others?" Gamba suddenly says, stepping in front of Azikiwe, and glaring squarely at him.
"What other choice do we have?" he spits back. "How are we supposed to find them when we don't know where we are, even less where they are? And worst of all, the layout of this place. We would be wasting our time and energy, and more than anything else, our lives for nothing." He pauses before adding, "Right now, we have the highest chance of getting out. Vyswe'eyaga's compass will guide us, while the artifacts she crafted for us will protect us and hide our presence. Truly, isn't this the most promising course? We would even be able to commission more help to rescue them."
A scoff interrupts him, and I whip my head back in Sazayi's direction.
"Warriors were the last people I ever imagined being cowards," he says coldly. "Or maybe, this just applies to you."
Azikiwe watches him indifferently, slightly raising his chin. "You're one to talk. What? You have suddenly grown a spine now?"
"At the very least, I am not as eager to abandon my friends as you are."
"Please, don't flatter yourself—we are not friends," Azikiwe sneers. "This is a job for which I'm being paid. Though, not nearly enough…" He shrugs, sighing, "Truthfully, I was hoping to find an ancient Nchāren treasure throve by following you guys, alas..."
Then he throws a pointed look at us. "And don't act as if none of you had a similar thought."
Welp, I can't exactly contradict him on that.
"Regardless, I don't intend to leave anyone behind," I say.
"Then you won't mind if I take the compass from you," he replies, and we all tense.
"You can take it, but you will not go far, not alone." I say slowly. "Vyswe'eyaga's sorcery was crucial to get us this far, yes, but we survived crossing the Nguo mainly because of our large group. You must understand; to attempt the return alone would be little better than a death sentence."
Azikiwe does not speak. His silence is heavy, his jaw tightening as though he is grinding down words he refuses to release. The flicker in his eyes betrays a struggle.
"So don't you think it is the better idea to at least regroup," I continue after a sigh. "We don't even need to continue this exploration—we find the others, then we leave… or try to."
In the end, he glances at the other side once more, then clicks his tongue.
"Whatever… those people are coming back. The charms hide our presence, but they don't make us invisible; it will be difficult to navigate this place without being seen if there are more of them."
I hesitate for a moment, "I… we might not need to avoid them at all." I turn around, looking at Sazayi. He glances back questioningly at first, but it doesn't take long before his eyes widen in understanding.
He takes a step back and shakes his head grimly. "N-no… you can't possibly be thinking…"
"I know it's much to ask, Sazayi, but—"
"Indeed! You are asking too much. You know how I feel about using my powers on people, you know that—and you still ask?"
"But the context right now is completely different. Our lives might depend on it."
"Y-you…"
"Think about it… we wouldn't have to harm anyone. And you can make it so that they don't feel a thing, right? Much less remember."
Sazayi looks at me with a quiet, indignant glare.
"Alright, when will you explain what you are talking about?" Gamba asks after a bout of silence. He and Azikiwe are already eyeing Sazayi wearily.
They never witnessed him using his mind control abilities—not that he ever did—and N'jobu and I never mentioned it out loud. Yet from the cautious glances Gamba and Azikiwe begin casting at Sazayi, it's clear they already suspect what he might be capable of and are simply looking for an outspoken confirmation.
Sazayi grunts in frustration, "Yeah, well, I'm a Whisperer. There, now you know." He shoots me a reproachful scowl, and to our shared surprise, he steps out of our hiding place, striding straight toward the path taken by the group of cloaked individuals had gone.
"Let's get this done and over with," he grits out.
I let out a long, weary sigh, staring silently at Sazayi's back. I feel some guilt from forcing him to use his sorcery like this, but right now there is no better alternative. His mind control spares us the crude necessity of brute force, allowing us to interrogate those people without causing any physical harm. No tangible or intangible marks will trace back to us, and therefore keeping anyone from discovering our presence.
It doesn't take long before the hushed voices of the three strangers echo along the tunnel walls.
"…do you think?"
"…report back…"
"No, we should scour farther, make sure there are no other anomalies. It cannot be a coincidence that an earthquake happened just hours after Lord Hamas absented himself, to the point that some tunnels are now flooded."
"Maybe that water junju caused some trouble again," another voice says. "That one has always been particularly aggressive on top of her ability to resist their Authority—"
Their conversation comes to an abrupt end the moment they spot us. They halt mid-step; their eyes fixed upon us in a mixture of utter disbelief and dumbfoundedness. The sudden shift in atmosphere nearly causes my own stride to falter, yet I force myself onward, following Sazayi's steady pace, though I cannot help but notice the taut unease etched across Gamba's and Azikiwe's faces, albeit their calm steps.
Amid the wary glances exchanged between our two groups, Sazayi alone seems untouched by the tension. With effortless composure, he lifts his hand in greeting, an easy-going smile on his face.
"Don't panic, please, we mean you no harm."
His words flowing in a quiet, soothing rhythm. I am not the one is addressing but I find myself faintly affected nonetheless, my body relaxes just barely, but thankfully not quite as completely as the strangers' bodies seem to surrender under his enthrallment.
"My friends and I have a few questions, and I wish for you to answer them truthfully and to the best of your ability. Then we can all be on our merry way, yes?"
They nod, but their expressions are vacant, as if they are daydreaming… as if they are not really alive anymore. This is the reason why people like Sazayi are so feared—and thankfully so rare. Someone with the ability to manipulate others' psyches freely, to so easily strip someone of their free will, is truly terrifying. I'm glad Sazayi is someone who is reluctant to casually use such a dreadful sorcery, when the allure of its sinister benefits is something few men would resist. If he did not have such self-restraint, he would not have lived this long.
We stop some distance from them, and Sazayi turns to me, then jerks his head to the side, pointing in the direction of zoned-out trio.
"You want me to question them? But will they even acknowledge me?"
"I made them compliant. You do the interrogating," he states out flatly.
"Oh." I'd assumed thralls only obeyed their Whisperer, though I suppose it makes sense.
"We'll begin with the fundamentals, who are you people?"
They stay motionless for half a moment before simultaneously opening their mouths and telling their full names.
"…Ah." I exclaim when they turn back listlessly.
"You should be more specific," Sazayi says sardonically. Yes… I noticed.
"Why are you here?"
"We have been sent to search the tunnels for anything and anyone suspicious after the recent earthquake," they all say.
This is not as easy as I thought.
"Sent by whom—No, more importantly; why are you here in the Nguo?"
"It is the only place where we can operate without the risk of being found?"
I raise an eyebrow, more than a bit intrigued by their answer. I glanced beside me, and the others wear similar expressions as mine.
"And what possibly could you be doing that one of the most dangerous places in the world be the sole location you could find refuge?"
Two of the trio part their lips, yet no words escape, and they eventually turn back listless. Only the third one, the older looking man respond to me. For the first time he looks up directly at me, a manic glint twirling in his eyes. "We are preparing for our saviour's return," he says.
"…Your saviour?" Azikiwe repeats after an uncomfortable silence.
"Yes! Our saviour, the Lightbringer! Soon he shall descend fully into the mortal realm, and with his guiding hand, he shall usher in paradise—an eternal age of peace and radiance!"
I stare at the man, an unsettling feeling creeping over me.
Is this man out of his mind?
"The Lightbringer? Don't tell me… did we just stumble upon a cult?" Gamba questions hesitantly.
"Looks like it," Azikiwe says.
Sazayi steps closer, a deep frown on his face. "A cult, huh? From what I know, societies like those had been outlawed, no?"
"It would explain why they have been in hiding…" This must be it, right? This must be the festering evil the boy prophet warned Vyswe'eyaga about. I never imagined the threat would take the form of a fanatical cult. I don't know why, but I thought we might have to face a powerful junjus instead, or something of the sort.
I glance at Sazayi and my eyes immediately go wide. "You are bleeding."
He glances back at me before raising a hand to his nose, wiping away the drop of blood trickling down his nostril. His brow wrinkles ever so slightly. "I never consciously used my abilities on so many people before… and for so long," he says, "I feel lightheaded too. I guess this is wearing me down faster than I expected. We should wrap this up quickly."
I watch for another second before nodding. "That 'saviour' of yours, how do you plan to bring him back, anyway?"
"All we need is prove our worth. By showing our devotion and praying long enough, he will soon descend; it is only a matter of time."
This sounds like complete nonsense.
But remembering the giant we faced earlier—they referred to him as Lord Hamas, I believe… maybe there is a sliver of truth to his words. However, from their association with such a horrifyingly malevolent being, I doubt whatever entity they are trying to summon is anything but ill-fated, regardless of how exalted its moniker sounds.
I want to ask more about the supposed descent of their 'Lightbringer', but I doubt we would get anything meaningful from them. At the same time, I am curious as to where such a belief was founded. I have never heard of them before today, meaning they must not be actively recruiting for more members—which is quite uncharacteristic of groups like that—or maybe they must have been very discrete to not rouse the suspicion of any authorities. If the Nguo is their base of operation, how do they travel in and out of it safely? For how long exactly have they been operating? How and why are they working with that terrifying giant? Where does he even come from, and are there more like him?
There is a lot more I want to know… but glancing at Sazayi's strained expression, I don't think we will have the time for that. Furthermore, we don't know how long we can keep them without raising suspicion.
I will have to focus on what is of interest to us in the immediate.
"Have you heard in the recent hours of another group of trespassers, like us?"
"We did not," they say at the same time.
"How would you? Do you possess scrying mirrors on you to communicate with the rest of your group?"
I step back when they suddenly move but quickly calm down when simply reach for the hoods covering their heads with the same absent gazes.
"What the hell?!" Gamba exclaims, and I can't help but agree with him. Who would have ever thought that hidden beneath their hoods, the tops of their heads would be shaved clean, with a prominent red symbol tattooed on their scalps? The drawing pulses like a heartbeat. It resembles an elongated mask, its mouth slightly parted as though caught mid-whistle. A single eye dominates the design, rendered with unnerving precision. Somehow, it seems to follow me—no matter where I stand, its gaze locks onto mine. The effect is deeply unsettling.
"We can't communicate like with scrying mirrors, but the Overseer can sense us through the mark. He will know if we feel in danger or die and alert the other disciples."
Uh-oh. "Then… he knows something happened ever since we revealed ourselves to you, doesn't he?"
"It is very likely," they answer.
"I subdued their minds the moment I was close enough to them," Sazayi says. "They shouldn't be acting any differently than they usually are. With some luck, their 'overseer' might have dismissed any fleeting fear or surprise."
"I will advise we don't stay to find out," Azikiwe says with caution.
"Where is the way out of this place? And by that I mean a safe way out of the Nguo."
"There is only one; the monoliths of the inverted shrine opens a dimensional gate to a place outside of this territory."
"The what now?"
After some more questioning, we learn of their base of operation, a sort of upside-down temple at the heart of this whole underground system and serves as the sole entry and exit point. The system of tunnels does not lead anywhere outside; they branch out from a giant, central cavern where the shrine is located, interconnecting with each other, and only serve as additional space for their storehouses and other hidden chambers. But the tunnels were suddenly flooded, so most of their manpower has been deployed to assess the damage to their chambers and search the tunnels for the presence of any intruders.
Only a few stayed behind to guard the shrine, albeit humans are not the only beings guarding it; there is another giant, as well as their Overseer whom they couldn't describe except for majestic.
Under Sazayi's influence, they draw us a rough layout of this underground stronghold before letting them go with no memories of this encounter.
"Their forces are thinned out right now, this will be our only window of opportunity to infiltrate that shrine and escape through the monolith," Azikiwe says, studying the map over my shoulder. "After that, they will eventually regroup, and it will only be a matter of time before we get caught."
He looks up at me. "You don't want to leave anyone behind. What should we do?"
I study the map a little longer. There's no way we can search the entire area with the limited time we have—it's frustrating, but it's the reality we are facing.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a small mirror. First, I will start by filling in Vyswe'eyaga on the new piece of information we acquired, we will coordinate to meet at the central chamber where the shrine is. As for N'jobu and Ewa, the former likely lost his since I hadn't been able to contact him, while the latter does not have one at all.
I let out a slow exhale, then glance at Sazayi. His brow is furrowed, jaw locked tight, yet he remains silent. Sadly, there's little we can do for them.
"Let's just hope that they somehow make their way there, or we stumble upon them."