After running in panic through the strange forest for some time, Kashka stumbled across a kind of forest path and saw 3 people in some strange leather clothes in the distance talking to eachother.
"oh, thank God, finally normal people... I should ask them where I am and if they know who those creepy people in the black robes were..." Kashka thought to himself relieved.
He took a few steps into the direction of the 3 people.
"HEY! Sorry for the disturbance, but can you tell me where I am right now? I'm kinda lost" he shouted and waved to them in a friendly way.
As he got closer to them, he saw that all of the people are men. The 3 people first turned around in confusion, while Kashka approached them more and more. When the 3 people saw Kashka, their eyes widened, they backed away screaming and scared whereupon Kashka himself backed awy too for a moment.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm sorry if I scared you guys, really. Do you know where I am right now? I'm kinda lost in this place and my phone isn't really working either." he said friendly to the 3 people in front of him.
"Do you really think we'll fall for your devilish tricks!? We know what you are, we can see it... your aura... the black smoke that envelops you!" said one of them, anxious and trembling. His eyes were wide opened and his hands were kinda shaking a bit.
"Huhh, what's that guy talking about? ... It seems everyone in this Place is kinda crazy..." Kashka thought to himself confused and looked at the 3 men.
Another one of the 3 men spoke up, trembling
"Please, I beg you, spare our lives! We... We won't tell anyone that we met a witcher cultist in this forest, we promise!!" the man said anxious and nervous, whereupon the 2 other men supported what he had just said.
"Huh? now I don't understand anything anymore... What's going on here? Why do they call me a "cultist"? Maybe they think I'm one of those creepy dudes from the river, well they definetly looked like some cultists" Kashka thought to himself.
"Hey listen, I have no idea what you're talking about, but you don't have to be afraid of me, I'm not a cultist, i mean I'm not even religious. I'm just a teenager that got kinda lost here. So can you just please tell me where I am right now? or just tell " Kashka told the 3 anxious men with a kinda annoyed voice.
"Ha, you think we're fools, damned cultist!... We can see it, your aura! The black mist that surrounds you and the other cultists!" said the third man, panicked and angry.
"Hey, hey, hey wait a minute... I really have no idea what the hell you're talking about. I don't know anything about any cultists or damn auras, believe me!" Kashka said confused towards the 3 men, who immediately backed away in fear.
"Please, I beg you, let us live!" one of the men shouted, almost crying.
"You have to believe me! I'm not a cultist! I just want to know where the hell I am right now, really!" Kashka said tensely.
Suddenly, one of them pulled a dagger out of his leather clothes in panic, the other 2 did the same. Kashka backed away in fear.
"Shit, they really seem not to be joking! If they try to attack me I must dodge and run away..." he thought to himself in panic.
The 3 men walked trembling a few steps towards Kashka, the fear in them was clearly felt, but their daggers were still gripped in their hands.
Kashka took a few steps back when black smoke suddenly appeared some meters away on the ground around him and about 10 people in black robes rose from the black smoke.
"What the... wait that are the same guys from earlier at the river!" Kashka thought to himself confused and backed awy from the black mist in confusion.
The 3 men also backed away in fright, now trembling and shacking even more.
"More cultists... we are dead..." said one of the 3 men hopelessly and started to cry tears.
All of the 10 people in black robes now circled the 3 men, they all had sickles with black blades in their hands. Simoustanly and without giving a singe sound, they attacked the 3 men and brutally killed them with their sickles in a few seconds and cutting their limbs off with swift and precise strikes, whereupon Kashka fell to the ground in fright, his eyes panicked.
His heart was racing when he saw the bloody corpses of the 3 men, he was absolutely frozen in fear.
The 10 cultists stood still in front of Kashka that didn't move a bit. They all looked at him with their bloody sickles in their hands and bowed to him a few moments later, whereupon black smoke appeared on the ground again and the 10 cultists were pulled in by the smoke. A few moments later, the floor was back to normal, but Kashka was still frozen in fear, his whole body was shacking as he fell backwards to the ground, his face in absolute shock...