"Yo. You ever meet a witch?"
Nico didn't respond. Instead the only noises were their steps along with the occasional dripping of water.
"Hey I'm helping you out. At least repay the favor."
Another bout of silence continued before Nico finally opened his mouth.
"No. Though my sister did."
"Yeah, that's the one. How much do you know about her?"
"She only told me that she could do magic with reflections. Nothing else."
Naren clicked his tongue.
"But..."
He raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
"...the witch told my sister that she was going to the heavens, if a really sleepy tired boy ever asked."
Naren continued walking, this time upwards along a staircase. His face sinking deeper into his scarf.
"That's where she thinks she'll end up?"
"What?"
Naren paid him no attention. Instead he stopped where the stairs did. Above them a thick wooden trapdoor was laid closed. Naren pressed up against it to no avail.
Nico nudged his back.
"It needs a key, where's the one from the guard?"
"I kinda threw it away."
"You did what?"
Nico grew agitated.
"Woah calm down. I didn't know we'd need it again."
"Obviously we'd need it! Why would they leave the entrance unlocked!"
Naren pushed his bottom lip upward, trying to deflect blame. Muttering: "It'd be convenient."
"Ugh what'd we do? It's a solid wooden trapdoor."
"It's just wood. Not that white stuff?"
"Hm? It's not bone, but just wood?"
Naren held onto the walls of the stairs to keep his balance in the dark. In one swift motion he threw a side kick straight upwards, his foot going right through the wood, striking right where the hinge would be connected.
Naren dusted off his hands, despite his legs doing all the heavy lifting.
"There. Problem solved."
A twilight glow seeped in, finally illuminated the two: Nico was a lanky kid, almost as tall as Naren. He had dark short hair and striking green eyes. A couple scratches laid on his olive brown skin, but he looked pretty normal. Except for the deep resentment in his eyes that is.
Nico looked at Naren with a look of bewilderment.
"Are you a monster?"
Naren pushed the loose trapdoor out of the way, stepping foot into the surface.
"That's a bit rude isn't it?"
They emerged right in the center of town. Foot traffic all around them. Voices rushing into Naren's ears. He raised one side of mouth up.
"So loud."
Naren looked around. A wide, open plaza filled with floors the same pale white as the cell bars. Market stalls lined the edges, each surrounded by people: Haggling, eating, laughing. Tight currents of people of all ages squeezed through.
A woman bumped into Naren, walking off without even looking back. Another almost step on his hands while he was on the ground.
"What's wrong with these people."
Naren got up, brushing off his pants. He thought back to Nico telling him how the witch was going to heaven.
'Guess this is a dead end.'
"Where's that shrimpy. I gotta teach her what happens to traitor—"
Naren's thoughts were cut short as his eyes landed on a huge statue in the middle of the town square: A hunched over figure, with six arms. Something like a human, but not quite. It would be closer to say it was like the land itself. What looked like mountains erupted from it, etched in the skin of the figure.
Its head was sunken into the skull. Six hollow holes, reflecting nothing but emptiness, acting as eyes. Its jaw split open in several spots, three mouths hung open. All stuck in between a scream and a breath. Shackles adorned every part of the creature, its neck, legs, arms. As for arms, it had six of them stuck into its abdomen. Two of them clenched together as if holding something not there anymore. The other four of raised up into an open palm.
The statue was completely untouched, not a single person even mistakenly touching it. Even though it was so oddly shaped and at least four meters tall.
Though, the sheer outlandish shape of the statue didn't catch his attention. Nor was it the numerous arms, eyes, mouths. No, it was just a single eye. The middle left eye was slightly different from the rest. It was carved just a little different from the others, reducing the perfect statue into something more human. The middle left eye held regret.
Naren gazed at it for a second longer than he should've. The eye was strangely human and drawing. Like the feeling of meeting an old friend after a long time apart. Something nostalgic.
He took a step closer, crouching down to read base of the statue: "HOLD UP THE SKY."
Pressing off his thighs, he got back up to his feet, just in time for Nico to reach him.
"Who's this statue of."
But Nico didn't approach Naren. Instead, he walked right past him, right into the embrace of a woman. Naren clicked his tongue.
"Forgot me already?"
Naren turned his gaze to see what Nico had abandoned him for, almost falling back when he did as his eyes grew wide. In front of him was tall lean woman with olive brown skin. She had dark hair, hung in a pony tail. A couple of loose strands fell in front, failing to cover her amber eyes.
"Sis! I thought you were dead!"
Nico cried in the embrace of his sister.
The girl hugged her brother tightly.
"Why would you think that Nico? You know he wouldn't let us die."
"I know...I just believed...someone told me."
Naren watched the endearing reunion. He should've watched in satisfaction. He should've been happy for the two. After all, he wished he could have the same. But instead, he didn't feel happy. Nor did he feel envy. Instead, he looked shocked.
Naren tilted his head. Opening his mouth to speak.
"She should be dead."
It wasn't his voice. He whipped his head to his left, a shorter hooded figure right by his side. He was so focused on the woman, that he didn't hear her appear.
The hooded figure looked onward toward the two in front of them. A sleeve of a coat reached out from the cloak, shaking two fingers.
"Right?"
Naren stared at her fingers shaking. As it meant something important. His tilted his head. He just couldn't put his finger on it.
"I got nothing."
The cloaked figure clicked their tongue before muttering something under their breath: "Heads as dull as the scarf."
The figure took a step to walk away, but Naren's hands blocked the path.
"Wanna call my scarf dull again?"