Todd stared blankly at Ty, who still gripped the tanto stained with his boss's blood.
The keys slipped from Todd's hand and clattered across the prison corridor.
Neither of them moved for a breath. The blood on the floor kept spreading in a thin line toward Todd's boot, and Todd stared at it like crossing that line would decide the rest of his life.
With a nervous quiver in his voice, Todd asked, "If I hadn't agreed to help you in the cell, would you have done this to me too?"
Ty was still trying to process the carnage and piece together what had happened, but he chose to be honest with the goblin.
With a slight stutter, Ty replied, "No, after you mentioned your family, it made you seem... not as bad. But seeing him eat a human as I was leaving... it just set me off. The next thing I knew, he was dead."
Still stunned by his answer, Todd responded, "Yeah, he had always had a bad habit of wanting to eat humans. Many of our kind do. But about 40 years ago, we signed a peace agreement with the Hikari, ending a long war.
We agreed to work together, which proved beneficial until the rise of the four deities."
Trying to grasp the flood of information, Ty asked, "That's a lot to take in. Are there other creatures besides what you call 'green skins'? And what can you tell me about these four deities?"
"Skeleton man," Todd began with a hint of sadness, "I'm not sure what you mean by 'goblin'. But, about 12 years ago, the world was taken over by the four deities. The one who rules our region is known as the Yami King.
He governs this section of the giant lands with an iron fist, emphasizing total control."
"He might have been planning to show up later today or perhaps send one of his two generals to collect you or investigate the rumors about you."
Todd started to continue, but Ty cut in with the question that mattered. "What about Elithira? Was she taken, or is she also being held here?"
Todd looked uneasy, and maybe still afraid of Ty. "I haven't heard of any women being brought here recently. If she was with you, she might have escaped."
That answer helped and hurt at the same time. Ty wanted proof she was safe, not a maybe tossed into a dungeon hallway. Still, maybe was better than finding her name carved into one of these cells.
Pondering this, Ty placed his skeletal hand under his chin bone and looked perplexed. "I suppose that's also possible; she did mention her ability to adapt to the poison. And what of Tsunadro? That backstabbing weasel?"
"I only arrived when you did," Todd said, shaking his head. "All I was told was to keep an eye on the skeleton, even though the order sounded odd."
His eyes then darted towards the tanto blade that was in Ty's possession. "In hindsight, I should've been more cautious of you. But since I gave you the weapon that ended the boss, I feel obliged to assist you further since we are working together."
A hint of confusion appeared in Ty's hollow eye sockets as he asked, "Assist me in what ways?"
Todd elaborated, "For starters, when we leave this dungeon, we need to avoid attention. I'll head into town and fetch a mask that might pass for human features.
In the meantime, you can turn the boss's clothing into a garb to conceal your skeletal form until we're out of the city."
"You might gather information about your friend in the process," Todd suggested.
"Hmm, that sounds like a promising plan," Ty agreed, adjusting the makeshift outfit he had put together. "Let's move quickly to avoid attracting attention, especially if the lord whom you mentioned is en route.
Perhaps, if luck is on our side, we can stealthily retrieve the item I seek and wrap this up swiftly."
"We can think through that strategy once I return," Todd responded.
Todd picked the keys back up with shaking fingers, then glanced once more at the dead boss. Whatever fear he had of Ty, it now had to share space with opportunity.
About thirty minutes passed. Ty used a washcloth to clean away as much blood as he could.
He cleaned the tanto, then tore the least blood-soaked fabric from the fallen goblin's clothing to make a rough disguise.
When he finished adjusting the outfit, Ty checked his reflection in a tarnished metal sheet left against the wall. The mask's calm expression hid his skeletal face.
Subtle designs of waves and clouds curved across the mask.
Small eye slits concealed his hollow gaze while still letting him see. The mask extended down his neck, and a flexible cloth piece helped it blend into his upper garb.
Dressed in the modified garments, Ty looked like he was wearing a worn-out kimono or haori.
The dark haori reached his ankles and hung loose at the waist.
The dark hakama matched the top, giving the outfit a cleaner shape.
A wide straw hat pulled the disguise together, hiding more of his masked face in shadow.
When Ty walked, the waraji on his feet whispered against the floor. The straw sandals fit the role of a traveling monk or pilgrim.
In this disguise, he blended into the era and carried a quiet air of mystery.
The plain clothing, mask, and hat shadow made him look less like a monster and more like a traveler people might avoid questioning.
With each step that he took while making his way towards the town's entrance, Ty felt the weight of his disguise.
The worn streets greeted him, and the town's atmosphere buzzed with activity including bustling traders, chirping birds, and distant chatter of men. But amidst this normalcy, Ty, in his unique attire, traversed a path of concealed identity.
An identity of a skeleton concealed behind the mask of humanity.