[center][b]Just as what we think is sometimes false, what we see can be false. The difficulty is knowing where the falsehood lies.[/b][/center][hr] Zisqe sat and considered the riddle given to them, as well as Vakk’s hint. A mighty legion, fearless, footsoldiers, highest and lowest points… All of Galbar. Water ruins them. Perhaps it was one of the other people that Karamir spoke of? But surely their god wouldn’t give an impossible answer. Perhaps it would. Surely a puzzle was life’s greatest pleasure. The sea stretched before them, golden sand beneath. A hazy sky soared above, breathing. They were sitting on a warm rock. The small village was bustling behind them, which was pleasant indeed. All of them were each other’s family, and even though some were far removed from Zisqe, the love they held for these people was warmer than the rock they sat upon. A crunching of sand caused Zisqe to turn around. Isi was walking towards them. Of all the loves Zisqe bore, Isi was the first, and one of the strongest. [color=gold]”Is there a bother, Isi my darling?”[/color] Zisqe asked, turning all the way around. “No, no bother. I had just thought…” Isi replied. The words were withdrawn and somewhat flat. [color=gold]”Take a seat and regail me,”[/color] “Of the riddle. It mentions the one we lost. Could it mean Uzit?” Zisqe looked to the sky, to the sea, then to their feet. [color=gold]”I had taken this to mean our god,”[/color] it said slowly, knowing that Uzit was a point of tension for Isi. “Our god is lost, but we did not lose it. We did lose Uzit.” Isi said bluntly. Zisqe had a bit of a think before saying, [color=gold]”Surely this is accurate. Uzit it is. Both, perhaps!”[/color] “Perhaps. Have you known the answer to the riddle yet?” [color=gold]”No,”[/color] Zisqe sighed, [color=gold]”but I have suspicions. What about mountains?”[/color] Isi turned and grinned at Zisqe. “I think surely it is mountains.” [color=gold]”Mountains aren’t ruined by water. No,”[/color] Zisqe replied, creasing its brow. Isi looked out to sea, thinking. They looked to the wetern shore, all rocky. “Rocks in the sea are rounded by it. Why not streams with mountains?” Isi said. Zisqe stared out towards the west shore. Their face started as puzzled, then awed, doubtful, and finally, understanding. Enlightenment surged up into their chest, and made their hands tingle. They dropped to the sand below, lying down, beholding the sky. [color=gold]”You’ve got it, Isi!”[/color] Isi smiled and said “When is it you go there?” [center]--- [hider=music][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edq_qwIvZck[/youtube][/hider] ---[/center] [b]The following morning[/b], Zisqe was ready to go. They had a spear, a stone knife, and a basket. Considering the jungle supported the tribe’s life, everything else that might be needed lay within. Zisqe had seen how far the mountains were before. It would probably take four days to get there if they traveled quickly. This was one of the reasons they were travelling alone. Besides, the biggest danger was hunger, and that’d only be amplified with more people. And so they took the plunge, stepping from the light undergrowth into the jungle proper. Immediately, the air was thicker. Full with the scent of old water and dead leaves. The sound of a creek hissed nearby. Zisqe walked towards that, as it was the best way to keep near a water source. In the heat, one could die quickly without that. The other, perhaps more beneficial reason to follow it was that water runs downhill, and following it upstream would probably lead to mountains. Zisqe plodded along the creek, step by step by step. They walked until the sun was directly overhead, then stopped and sat. It plunged its hands into the water to drink. A foul smell invaded the otherwise serene setting. The smell filled it with a sharp feeling, something that told of death and rot and old hair. Something solid bumped into Zisqe’s hand. They bit into it. It tasted of fish, but didn’t squirm like one. Zisqe looked down into the creek. The water was deeper than they thought it was. The first one slid from upstream. It was on top of the water, shiny, slick, stinky. Belly-up. Another followed, bumping off of a rock and rolling over. Zisqe looked down at its hands. Dead fish, unmarked by tooth, spear, or beak. The taste of it soured in Zisqe’s hand-mouth, and they threw it to the other bank. The stench in the air seemed even more severe now. [i][color=gold]Why are they…[/color][/i] Zisqe looked over the river, mystified. Such a thing had never been seen, and this could mean less food for their people. They rose, slowly stepping back. Retreating into the trees. Four days of walking through thick, indifferent jungle later, Zisqe arrived at a foothill. A steep and gravelly cliff. Atop it sat an ink black bird, great and deshevilled. Pustules surrounded its beak and eyes, its wings were tattered. Filthy grey skin showed under. It flew away when Zisqe stepped out of the tree cover, back towards the mountains. Gingerly, Zisqe started the climb. They had no ropes, no safeguard. If they fell, they fell. The gravel sneered challengingly up at them. It bit at their feet, but gave way to the rock below it, almost out of spite. A slip. Zisqe fell flat on its face. It slid, gravel biting and gnawing at their skin. It shredded flesh and chipped chitin as it rolled them down the slope and denied their flailing hands any lasting purchase. Until their hands found a small hole, free of gravel. The fingers remaining on that hand nearly popped right off as they took the entire weight of Zisqe, but perhaps by luck, they didn’t. Zisqe took extra care climbing the rest of the slope. Once atop it, Zisqe could see for what seemed like forever. It could see the village over the trees, even the Gap in the distance. But most eye-catchingly, it could see a massive maw in the side of a mountain, four times taller than any Bujzell, and twelve times wider. Light seemed to flee from it. The bird from before sat on an outcrop above the cave, staring into Zisqe. Something was laid bare. The bird could surely see everything there was to see. Its eyes… But Zisqe steeled themselves. Nothing a bird could do could threaten it. It walked towards the cave until it was all but being swallowed. It felt more than just emptiness before it. There was something more than air. Something which [i]being[/i] fled from. Surely it was their God, in a particularly ruinous mood. Ready to show Zisqe what Uzit saw all those moons ago. It wasn’t. [hider=Prestige] +1 for starring +1 for minor role +1 for pursuing a quest 10 total Sorry for the late addition! [/hider]