𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖'𝕤 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷0

It was so empty. So barren. Forge had been walking for what seemed like hours on end and he felt as if he was getting nowhere, and he probably was. At least he could clearly see Daunting as he continued with no netherrack outcroppings or jagged cliffs to obscure his view.

All his life he had rarely left the familiar sights of the fortress. The farthest he had ever been away from it was probably the outskirts of the soul sand valley during his first battle.

He wondered if the larger skeleton knew exactly where he was headed. Or perhaps he was walking aimlessly, thinking things through in silence. Sooner or later, he would have to confront Daunting, but he wasn't sure how just yet. How would the soldier react once he found out Forge had been following him around for so long?

As he continued, the bleak landscape seemed to gradually become less and less flat. Rocky hills and jutting cliffs were visible ahead of him, and as Forge peered closer into the distance, he thought he could see buildings scattered about on the horizon.

He had heard about the villages and other places of residence on the outskirts of the nether wastes' territory, but he had never actually seen any of them at all. And to his astonishment, Daunting seemed to be headed straight toward the small community.

As Forge further analyzed the layout of the unfamiliar place, he spotted two piglin guards posted at what he could only assume was the place's entry point. Behind the two creatures, a soul soil path stretched visibly behind them, weaving between the few market stalls that had been assembled there and leading toward other structures and areas.

Forge ducked out of sight not long after he spotted the guards. What if they attacked strange or unfamiliar creatures on sight? Maybe Daunting had let his curiosity get the best of him and allowed his arrogance to drive out his fear and caution. Or maybe...

Maybe he knew this place was here the entire time. He probably knew where he was heading. The idea didn't seem completely unlikely. After all, Daunting had mentioned before that his parents had died in the war. Perhaps this place, these creatures were his shelter after they died. What if this was his home?

Ducking his skull to keep himself hidden against the wall of netherrack that flanked Forge, he was able to slink closer to the village's entrance until he reached the sheer and jagged edge that marked where it ended. But he was close enough to the entrance now that he could easily listen in on what Daunting was saying.

"Qlohe. New to village?" The guard who greeted Daunting seemed to speak in some sort of broken Realmish as if she hadn't spoken actual words in a painstakingly long time, and what in all the three realms did 'qlohe' mean?

"No. I've visited before." Daunting answered. "Nii fu etm andsoigr to Artehe." Forge strained to focus enough to even try and make out what was being said, but he couldn't.

The guard who replied sounded relieved as she replied, but although her voice was clear, Forge still found it especially difficult to make out any of the words she said. It all sounded to him like some sort of muddled Realmish, like words had been mashed together to form an entirely different form of dialect altogether.

Within a few moments, the voices faded, and Forge stepped forward to reveal himself to the second guard who remained. He clutched Daunting's bracelet in hopes that the object would pave him a way inside the village. Hoping that he would be able to catch up to Daunting and return it to him.

"With Untineda?" She asked, her voice significantly softer and more gruff-sounding than the guard who had addressed Daunting, which didn't make it any easier to understand what she was trying to ask.

"I'm sorry? What was that?" Forge hesitantly asked, a twinge of embarrassment threatening to break his calm composure.

"Untineda," she repeated patiently, glancing behind herself for a split-second before she continued, "with him?"