"This village, just how far away is it." Aeron complained, they'd been walking for hours already.
The farther they walked away from the capital, the mistier their surroundings got. It didn't seem like a naturally occurring mist but rather something the mysterious tower came with.
"It's about the journey not the destination, cheer up." Viktor tried to cheer him up.
"Is it really?" Kiro questioned, not expecting an answer.
They couldn't see that far but the village soon came into view. Nobody was at the gates to ensure everyone who entered wasn't a thief.
That was strange because villages around Asgard were quite strict about this. Every village had its own little militia to deal with destructive players who didn't like following the rules—but here they were entering without proving their purpose of visitation.
As they entered the gates the entire place felt lifeless, devoid of anyone roaming the streets and they didn't need to look hard to notice the giant structure that was erected at the heart of the village.
It seemed to be beckoning, daring them to go inside of it. Kiro, more than once had to yank the two away from its temptations.
Entering with little to no knowledge would not be smart on their part. His mental fortitude was still as strong as ever—not once was he enticed to do what he didn't want.
"What the hell are we doing? Let's just enter and get it over with." Viktor was already drunk with power, he wanted to experience the buff again.
"I think it'd be better to find someone to talk to first, we know nothing." Kiro tried to silence him.
"Why are you the leader anyway? I'm older I should be."
"I don't know, I just always am."
They walked around a house and noticed a man pressing his face onto the window. Looking at them with curious and hopeful eyes.
"Help us!" He croaked.
"What exactly happened here? Your—our King sent us to help." Kiro explained to gain a bit of trust from the dishevelled man.
Kiro picked his brain but there was nothing about towers in his memories.
'So much for being an omniscient being from the past who knows the future?' He thought arrogantly calling himself a being of the higher plane.
"So people can enter the tower? Is there anything you'd like to add, something useful?" He asked the man, Viktor nudged him for being insensitive.
"I don't know anything."
"You've angered no one? There are many villages in Asgard, why was yours chosen?"
The man began to weep silently. He never uttered a single word again no matter how much they tried, they even threatened to break down his door—which did nothing but make him slump on the nearby chair already accepting his fate.
"I suppose we won't get anything from anyone here. That was a waste of time, I should've—"
"Listened to me? I know." Viktor finished the sentence for him.
Letting him have his moment, they walked towards the tower. There was only one door, the top of the tower was unseen from the ground.
It was completely windowless. Kiro touched the obsidian marble stone, it was burning hot. He could feel that the tower was a living and breathing organism. The anger it permeated was incredibly weakening to those close enough to it.
Kiro was scared for Viktor because the guy was a hothead, someone like him in the tower, he wasn't sure that was a good idea. He was less worried about Aeron, he was a guardian after all.
"Viktor, don't touch. This tower seems to be angry at something, but our job is to save the village no matter what."
They both nodded, serious expressions on their faces. When they didn't ask questions, Kiro put his hand on the door handle, slowly twisting it.
It went all the way, until a click was heard.
The inside was more surprising, they looked at each other confused.
"Isn't this just a whole other world?"