Formations and arrays, a very popular concept in fantasy literature, maybe their idea originated from feng shui... is feng shui not a real thing? The simulation developers should have gotten their idea from it if they are also a real thing here...
(Meow "How did you know about those two. Are they a thing in your world?") lady cat asked.
i knew it, this developers can't be a hundred percent original... i was thinking with innovation like creatures crafting the heavens and the likes, they were going to add completely new stuff to the idea of glyph and runes they stole from modern literature...
(Squeak "But they are things of the ancient era. Ancient records says they were a very famous thing in the empire that once ruled all this lands. Some even say they were a creation of that empire...") At the side Raftelia narrated.
I can't rush this... understanding this symbols might be easy, but putting them together and extracting the information they hide is not gonna be easy...
"Is this land called BRAVE?" Skylar interrupted Raftelia addition and asked after which he sat on the edge of the golden altar and exhaled as his expression turned relaxed.
(Squeak "No, its called the Farlands") Raftelia responded as she left where she was in front of the altar's base support and moved to Skylar's front where he sat. Her position standing on the ground and her head lowered for some reason in front of Skylar above.
Nervously she turned her lowered head to face Skylar and confidently asked (Squeak "Sky where do you come from?")
And at Raftelia's question, lady cat left her place where she was standing previously and gracefully approach Skylar's lap. Then she took her place on his lap and set her mystical eyes on his face with an expression that betrays her curiosity.
There are times i forget this world is not real, its just a simulation... but why do i have this feeling it should be the other way round... who knows. I am just here to play...
"I am from nowhere. I have always been here." He answered cryptically with a smile as he looked down at the golden rat way taller than him in height.
("Meow "you...") Lady cat not having it, playfully bit his abs, and at the same time Raftelia rephrased her question smartly, her clear blue eyes hiding envy while on the duo seeming to have a lover's spat. (Squeak "Where were you exactly before you were taken by the wolfs?")
"Okay, okay, i will talk" He protested as he wrestled with the angry cat. And the angry cat disengage from his abs and gave him the opportunity to explain himself as indicated by her expression.
"Do you know this black place with very tall trees that reach and block the heavens. This enormous and gigantic wood region..." He described with gestures.
(Meow "If the whole place is black, that means you are talking about the inner region") lady cat chimed in.
"That should be it, it was where i met Mr Rabbit" Skylar agreed with her as he pointed at the big guy sitting at one corner and leaning on one of the horizontal blocks with the little guy floating beside him, both expressionessly and intently spectating them.
And at Skylar's words and finger pointing, mr Rabbit glared at him.
(Meow "She is from the wild, are you also from the wild?") the calm lady cat, a bit satisfied by his answer asked.
why does everyone think i am from this wild place... my world is far more civilized than this their savage and primitive world... maybe they think i am as wild as this temperamental rabbit...
"Maybe, i don't know" he replied with a lost and contemplative expression.
"Sky are you related to the old empire imperial family?" Raftelia chimed in
what's this one talking about... from wild to the imperial family of some empire... how can i possibly be related to a simulated character, wait... what if TRIBES used our data their origin AI collected to create some of this characters, and mine happen to match some random character...
(Meow "Raftelia, why do you think so?") Lady cat, her interest piqued to the maximum asked.
At the same time the little guy at a corner readjusted its posture slyly, an obvious sign its also very interested in Raftelia's reply.
(Squeak "His characters and actions are sometimes like those of the Emperor of old i was told about...") she replied while casting her gaze confidently at Skylar's face, an action very unusual for her to do.
where did this rat come from. Its like she is a special npc or something, just like lady cat. And she also seems to know a lot about this world. Maybe this is my reward for choosing this path. But i am not really interested in this lore and data gathering thing... its not like i want to become a guild master or something, i just want to play and have fun...
(Meow "You, are you a king candidate") lady cat asked as her eyes bore intently into Skylar's. Ignoring her questioning gaze fixed at him, he stood to his feet holding her in his arms.
"We've had enough break... mr rabbit and little guy its your turn, come over" He said as he turned to the direction of the duo who has been watching on silently since and have been acting uninvolved.
At his instruction, the duo reluctantly abandoned their position of rest and approached the altar reluctantly.
"Mr Rabbit, please dig down as far as possible, no, dig about about thirty thousand kilometer and if you see no little change in the earth you return..." he instructed and after which he faced the little guy floating beside the big guy "...little unicorn, your task is simple, i want you to get me a handful of soil from one of the floating rocks in the celestial heaven outside...". He then jumped down from the altar, ignoring the duo looking with a confused and questioning gaze at where he was previously.
After he landed on the reddish black soil, squatting, he put lady cat he was holding to one side and then proceed to examine the soil of this sacred ground bigger than five hundred football stadiums.
Later lady cat at one side beside Skylar put her paw on the reddish black soil on Skylar's hand (Meow "you think the soil is unnatural?")
"Yes, they remind me of something, and this might be the most important clue we need." Skylar looked at her and replied her while Raftelia behind them moved closer to them, to their front specifically.
"If my guess is right, this soil shouldn't originally have this color" He added.
(Squeak "Then what do you think is responsible for the color change?") Raftelia in front also holding and scrutinizing the soil in question asked. But before Skylar could answer; the duo who left to complete their task returned.
The duo approached Skylar and simultaneously, they nodded negative. And to their action Skylar who is now on his feet and in front of them nodded in approval.
so the mirror effect has no loop hole... then there should be some kind of spherical spatial static field that has formed around the ruin and is responsible for the reflection... fuck, how do i know all this...
(Squeak "If everywhere is a dead end, then, how did some fellow escape here?") Raftelia inquired.
"Sacrifice" Skylar chimed in an answer, then he continued "if as you mentioned that this place is a sacrificial site, what do you think they do on this altar". He smiled at Raftelia who asked the question.
Lady cat turned to Skylar who is now examining the golden cylindrical base supporting the altar below (Meow "My mate are you saying the way out here is to offer a sacrifice on this altar")
Skylar turned to the group, all facing him and harbouring their own thoughts as they wait for his reply which he did not delay as he delivered it with a smile, particularly directed at the little guy. "Yes, we offer someone. Specifically we spill someone's blood on this altar and the way will open for us, only..." he paued, turned to the big guy and continued "...only there must be enough blood to power this thing" and he pointed at the golden altar.
(Squek "So that's why the soil is reddish black in color!") Raftelia exclaimed.
(Meow "And the fellows that escape here are only those that entered in a group...") lady cat added and Skylar nodded with a smile "exactly, they have to sacrifice some people in their group to leave here".
Then Raftelia turned to Skylar, her face displaying fear and asked while also shaking from nervousness (Squeak "Sky are we going to sacrifice someone?")
At her question, Skylar grinned and turned to the passive duo- the big guy and the little guy. The big guy glared at him fiercely while also showing him his sharp metallic claws on both hands, and the little guy like usual, has vanished even before the others could process Raftelia's words.
Skylar relaxed his expression and calmed the others "Relax, we are sacrificing nobody" he turned to the altar and walk towards it " i found a loop hole in the system".