✦ Chapter Two ✦
You solved the first clue!
At an oasis stop, you find the blue bug that the voice had mentioned to you - a Leetle. The creature pips and chirrs at you before skittering off at an astounding speed, turning back at you occasionally, encouraging you to follow it.
You follow it to the tiny town of Hotte. The place seems abandoned at first, before you can make out the sound of voices and rustling coming from dugouts. The Leetle makes its way to the last stretch of the town, into a dusty antique shop.You wander in after it, and an old bunbii squints at you from above his glasses as the leetle comes to rest on his shoulder.
“Whozzat? This a friend of yours, Jewelly?” He regards you with a nod. “She don’t bring jest anyone here, yknow. Only those with a real…..special kind of destiny. That’s her talent”
The beetle hops off his shoulder and skitters over to a box full of old papers, pulling out a scrap and delivering it at your feet.
“Hmm, seems she wants to give you sumthin’.”
He walks over and takes a closer look at the paper. A rather serious look comes over his withered face.
“Well…....this here is a genuine map of Labrynthe.” He sighs and rubs his face as if remembering something he didn’t want to. “If it really is yer destiny…... an ol’ fella like me can't do nothin to stop ya, but lemme leave one piece of advice…….if you happen to fall, Labrinthe ain’t no playground. No one’s comin’ for you if you get lost there"
With those final words, he sighs and waddles away to the back of the shop. The beetle chirps as it skitters after him. You decide to leave and begin your long march through the desert.
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The irre desert has a silent, desolate beauty about it. Through your eye protection, you could see how the shimmering expanse was beautiful, but your loneliness was starting to pick away at you. The only things that kept you company were the tumbleweeds, and the occasional foreboding sight of sun-bleached bone poking out from the sand.
You couldn't help but be reminded of the stories you overheard while in Hotte. Dark, lanky shapes drifting across the landscape as if blown by an invisible wind. Faceless things hovering silently above Labrinthe. Friends who left for the abyss and never returned.
Occasionally out of the corner of your eye, you swear you saw a dark shadow move out from behind a dune - only to turn and see a cactus or tumbleweed. Maybe you were just losing yourself from the desert heat.
But, you finally stopped doubting yourself when you took your first step onto the black sand and smooth stones of Labrinthe. An enormous wave of static noise crashed over you, painfully familiar.
“M̴̡͕̦̒͛ȇ̷̛̗̩̓e̶̻̔͌t̴̘͑̒ ̴̨̞̈́͌͝m̵̼̎̐́e̸̱̅.̵̖͈̹̑,....... ̷͕͐́Ỵ̸̠͆́ö̶̧̀͠u̸̡̫̎̚͝ ̶̩̠̟̽͌a̸̠̹̫̿͗r̶̳̍̽e̵̱͖̋̔̕͜ s̵̢̭͔̫͉͇̬̠̠̥͔̫͖̾͗̿̊͜o̶͙̤̥͍̜̲̮̤͓͑ò̸̺͚͇̓̍̒̓̔͑̒̐n̵̛͉͈͚̣̻͖̑̾̀̌͑ͅ……....̴̮̹͌̀͛ ̸̗̟͙̍̽͘M̶̯͇͕͑͐̐e̶̱̒ě̵̖̓t̷̙̘̤͗ ̶̢̹̉̆̌m̶͉̎̈́e̸͈̐̐̀….....̸̟̿̊ả̴̡͔̹͑̕b̶̜̜͂y̴̛̻͑̈s̷͈̣̣̚s̴̨̫̪̈”
This time, the static was overpowering. It felt more alien and otherworldly than ever... It wants to meet you somewhere Out of this world. You collapsed to your knees, clutching your head, either trying to calm the static or force it away. Your memory fades after this point.You’re not sure if you dropped out for minutes or hours, but you are closer to Labrynthe then you were when you collapsed. Did you walk by yourself, or did something pull you?
Whatever awaits ahead…… you know only one thing about it.
It wants to meet you.
Prompt: Draw your ranebopet visiting hotte or trekking through the desert.
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✦ Chapter Three✦
You will need to find chapter 3 yourself! Maybe you'll find a hint in the story...