They were silent, and shivering, consumed by fear. Both Haruto and the dwarf. Staring back at the deep black night, immensely tenebrous, miry of deep obsidian. It eclipsed their vision, the dwarf the most. All they could do was stare back at the unwavering gaze of the night.
The dwarf was holding a piece of properly tied grass in his hands, with all the might he had left in his joints.
Turning his head ever so lightly and robotically, not daring to shift his gaze from the night. Haruto wanted to ask, but he thought better of it and stared back ahead.
"Rowan Twig"
The dwarf whispered.
Haruto twisted his head again, and said, almost silently.
"What?"
"The women from our village, fetish as they are, say it invokes the spirit of the Rowan god. Chases away evil spirits. They swore to it." Said the dwarf with a shaky voice.
Haruto turned sharply, receiving a corresponding jolt of pain from his hind leg as a result. He groaned in pain.
"Shh, keep it low"
The dwarf straightened his back. His voice sounded shaky, and he was shivering.
Groaning again, Haruto cursed out loud.
"So we wait here till we become meat for that creature and hope that some god who can't even appear right now would save us?"
The dwarf looked into the night warily.
"I have a plan"
He held the twig even more tightly and added:
"It's a crazy plan. All depends on if you want in, Milady. Or we both die"
Haruto leaned back on the statue.
…A crazy plan.
* * *
In the deep unmoving darkness, two figures moved warily. Staring 360 at the night as if terrified of what it might just throw at them.
Haruto was dragging a corpse through the harrowing shore. That was what the dwarf had called the dark premise of unending night. He found it to be a well befitting name.
But, wasn't it better to be stoned to death? Or be stabbed by jagged iron rods? Than to be reincarnated into a horrific nightmare as a damn female among strange creatures, bitten by a horror and of course…raped by a grotesque creature.
Haruto cursed whilst carrying his ragged body through the biting winds. His knees ache badly from cold and fear. His hind leg wouldn't but send a jolt of pain through his whole body every time he made a movement.
Yet. He had to continue moving, or he'd die, they'd both die.
Dragging the corpse of the gargoyle, both he and the dwarf let out muffled grunts, trying their best not to make too much sound. They were dragging it near the dreaded black sea.
That was the dwarf's stupid plan. He couldn't really call it stupid, since that was the only thing they could actually rely on.
It was simple. Reminiscing on what the dwarf had said…
'What did he say again?'
Something about the Spire depths singing. Yes, that was it. The dwarf had read — so he said— in a book of cryptic studies about the hollow spire. According to the dwarf, the black sea would always sing at time intervals during dusk.
Sound enough to make a whole creature explode into a blood mist — of course, if one was close enough. Farther away would cause considerable harm but not death.
That was where he came in. The black creature hadn't found them, and there was no sound of skirmish. That probably meant the creature had left the carcass of the gargoyle. If dead.
If the creature had not succeeded in killing him, then, that's where he would come in. Gargoyles like women. Just like strange creatures the dwarf called monkeys, they were very ugly too…according to the dwarf.
'Well, as the saying goes, ugly things think alike'
But, having intercourse with them would only bring death.
Truthfully, he'd hoped the creature was dead. But, all his hopes were dashed against brittle rock. The bastard was still alive.
Thinking about how the creature had its way with him. He felt so much hatred. So much.
His expression darkened.
It wasn't that bad though, the reward was worth it. It wouldn't have been if this was his real body. Truth was, it was not! So he couldn't care less what happened to this body. He just wanted to leave this horrific nightmare and be back at the safe haven of the sentinels.
Remembering the strange system's notification.
[You have slain a Dormant creature]
[You have received a sigil, Howling bone]
He'd been puzzled as to what a sigil was. That was the first time the system had used such a term — He didn't even know if to call it a system anymore —, all it carried was a few details and the additional aspect that read: "Arsenal".
Thinking reflexively, he'd tried to summon the 'Sigil' like the way he would summon a weapon.
Just like he guessed, it was a weapon. The howling bone was just as the name implied, a bone, only in texture though. It was shaped like a one-handed long sword. White like light but devoured darkness as well as emitted a dangerous amount of dark aura.
It brought a wicked grin to Haruto's face. Who knew being a whore had its own advantages?.
'One should never say never. But uhh, I still like being a guy'
He'd been totally helpless since he started this horrific challenge. It had been from one precarious premise to the other with no way to retaliate but run, he was weak. But, now.
His lips curled up into a grin as he stared into the darkness behind him.
'I'll kill you first'
And trying to picture the ugly face of whoever the spire lord might be, he grinned even wider.
'I'll kill you last'
"Why are you grinning like that?"
The dwarf's voice jolted him from his train of thoughts.
Haruto nodded his head slightly.
As to how the dwarf had seen him, strangely it was lit here at the sea. There was a strange light with unknown source that illuminated the black surface of the water which in turn, reflected it.
Looking at the water, Haruto shivered. He felt unwelcomed and uneasy. He felt naked in front of the sea, like he was staring at a being with life. He shuddered and turned to look at the dwarf.
The dwarf was uneasy too.
"We can't go near the sea too much. This should be enough," said the dwarf.
Together, they hauled the dead gargoyle towards the banks of the black sea. The carcass had created a trail of blood. Which was exactly what they wanted, hoping the black creature would find the trail, and come close enough to be too late to go back and be killed by the singing of the black sea.
And watching him shudder whilst doing so himself, the dwarf added:
"Let's get out of here"
Nodding, Haruto hesitated for a moment. Then, he turned to look at the dwarf again.
The dwarf was staring back at him.
Suddenly, as if chased by wild cats, Both of them took to their heels.
None was sure who took off first, but they were soon a considerable distance away from the harrowing sea in some time.