Chapter 295: The floating city

Chapter 295: The floating city

Mason followed the bird and ape men with the young priest he'd saved, not really sure he should. First of all, he still had no idea where Carl and the others were. Second, he wasn't actually sure why he should care about this priest anyway.

All he had was that the man professed to worship ‘Nephus’, and an intuitive sense that he should. And of course a complete lack of any other ideas or plan on how to 'save the Nephalai'.

Only when he thought of the word again did he blink and glance at the priest. He lowered his voice and whispered.

"So...what are the worshipers of Nephus called? Nephites? Nephus' witnesses? Nephilim? Nephalai?"

"Oh." The young man put a hand to his hairless chin. "Well. I hadn't thought about that." He looked for the first time maybe slightly...hesitant? "Technically, there are not currently worshipers of Nephus. He's a very new god. Only recently created to fill the void left by..."

"Wait.” Mason put a hand to his face. “How can a life god be 'new'?" He saw the priest was ready to explain and held up a hand. "Nevermind. What do you mean there aren’t worshipers? Where did you come from?"

"Technically..." the priest shrugged and looked up as if thinking. "Counting myself. There is only one. Though it appears now he has some servants.” Here the man smiled and nodded towards the players.

Mason blinked, no idea what to make of that. Even if followers of this 'Nephus' were what the game meant by 'Nephalai'. How the hell was Mason supposed to save them...when there weren’t any?

"And you're here..." he said slowly, lowering his voice even more, "to convert...these people? Why these people? I mean...why not start in some nice, peaceful village? You picked a jungle full of...man eating..." Mason tossed up a hand.

"Because these people need Nephus most," said the priest, his face losing any doubt. "Because it is why he came to me in the first place. They are to be his guardians. They are to build and defend his temple."

Mason nodded like that wasn't all insane. How long was he going to be in here? Did he need to help convert a city? Help them build a temple? Protect them?

He couldn't imagine that was the case, and yet...the same intuition that had him walking beside this 'prophet' made him think that was exactly what he was supposed to do.

"Did Nephus speak to you, also?" said the priest, searching Mason's eyes. "Did he truly send you to protect me?"

Mason did his best to keep his shoulders from sagging in defeat.

"Yes. Yes he did."

The priest made some kind of holy gesture again, taking Mason's hand.

"Bless His wisdom, and your strength, my friend. And your companions."

"There's more of us," Mason said. "Three more. We've...lost them somewhere in the jungle."

"Have no fear, my friend," the priest smiled. "He has brought us together. He will bring them, too. Have no doubt."

Mason was rather filled with doubt. He let the man walk on ahead, moving back towards Becky and Seamus.

He noticed plenty of the bird men watching him from the corners of their eyes, and hoped they weren't just intending to ambush them as soon as they had more men. But there wasn't much he could do except be ready to fight.

Their wings extended to at least twelve feet, and all took easily to the air. Most of their feathers were white or black but a few with multi-colored plumage, and the display as they flapped and turned was like a flock of birds coordinated in flight.

"Amazin'," Becky said, looking at Mason with such genuine joy he couldn't help but smile back. He really hoped he wasn't going to have to murder his way through these people.

"Come with us," said one of the apes Mason had fought, still walking with a bit of a limp and a constant glare.

"Sorry," Mason said, gesturing between the ape's legs. "About the cheap shot. But...you're very big."

"Not so big," said another ape, and the two creatures exchanged a look before the few others all showed their teeth and started making pretty obvious laughing sounds.

"No honor," said the butt of the joke, squinting at Mason. "Next time I crush you, little pale monkey."

Mason shrugged.

"Next time I'll hit you in the other ball."

Again the other apes showed large, vaguely frightening teeth as they howled, and Mason hoped he didn't have to kill them, either.

The apes led them down along the road, the players soon finding a few new types of 'humanoids' working the fields or walking the roads. Some were dark and maybe slightly furred, with clawed hands and curled frames that made them look like...burrowers. The others were hairless and almost blue, looking more like fish-people.

They all stared at Mason and the others.

"What? We aren't the bloody weirdos," Seamus muttered, and Mason gave him a glare, keeping his voice low.

"We are here. And if I have to fight or kill because you insult someone, you won't like the result. So be polite. Better yet, just don't talk."

Seamus opened his mouth as if to reply, then shrugged and started whistling.

They walked on, all staring at the mostly wooden buildings designed with beautiful, curving architecture. Mason was briefly curious how they could even make wood look like that when he remembered they had floating buildings.

Eventually they arrived at one of several bridges from the outside of the lake to the city, and Mason felt he'd come to a kind of point of no return. He glanced at the still mostly bored and unafraid Streak, its gaze moving longingly to the water.

He met Becky's beautiful eyes, trying not to consider that fact that he may one day make a decision that got her killed. And that decision might be entering this city.

The apes were gesturing them on.

Other citizens of the valley were moving around them and going in or out with curious or annoyed glances. Still Mason's feet kept him at the edge.

"Ready?" he said to Becky, hoping she understood his hesitation. She nodded, and squeezed his hand, and he reminded himself she was a warrior, ready to fight and die just like he was.

"OK," he said, nodding to the apes, then following behind them across the long, sturdy bridge.