ushernet Chapter 49 Roasted Catacomb Dweller? (edited)
Chapter 49 Roasted Catacomb Dweller? (edited)
She stepped out from behind the stone wall and entered through what seemed to be a large archway into a humongous room—a room brightened up by a massive hole in the stone ceiling.
A pillar of light passed through the hole, which she assumed to be from the surface, and landed on a tall and curved tree shaped like a crescent that rested on top of a hill of dirt.
Its dark purple leaves shimmered under the light, its dark brown curved body seemingly rejuvenating when in contact with it.
Lillian stared as its roots spread out from under it like tentacles, feasting upon the nutrients found within the dirt hill. Lillian stared suspiciously at the tree, "This isn't a monster, right?"
She then glanced around the room. The room she found herself in had curved and smooth walls and thick pillars that stretched from the ground and towards the stone ceilings.
"This room seems more man-made than just a natural occurrence..." Lillian went up to one of the pillars, caressing its side.She then twisted her head back to the tree, narrowing her eyes as she witnessed a dark pillar of smoke rising from behind it and going through the hole in the ceiling. (2)
"Smoke...? Is something burning...?" She tightly gripped the hilt of her blade, debating whether to leave the room just in case it was dangerous. (3)
'What if Marionette was the cause of it...?' Lillian looked back, curiosity soon taking over her as she began to walk around the hill. She noticed how the room had several more entrances like the one she came through.
After reaching the other side, she saw a fire dancing upon the hill, with a humanoid figure sitting beside it.
Their long black hair cascaded over their shoulders. Their head tilted down, staring at the long object in their hand.
Lillian widened her eyes and yelled, "Marionette!" (10)
The figure calmly turned its head down to the side, looking over the curve of the hill and staring down at Lillian. Their cautious red eyes then briefly softened. It was indeed Marionette.
Lillian stored away both her items and began to hurriedly make her way up the hill, eventually reaching Marionette, who was casually sitting by a campfire and holding the roasted limb of what may seem to be from a Catacomb Dweller.
"Oh... Lillian... glad to see you're still alive." Marionette stated stoically, lowering the Catacomb Dweller limb in the hand.
Lillian smiled brightly and sat down next to her. Her legs crossed. (10)
"Me too! I'm glad that you're as well."
Marionette nodded briefly, glancing at the dissected corpse of a Catacomb Dweller that laid beside her.
"If you're hungry, I'll let you eat from my spoil." She said, reaching over and grabbing an arm and showing it to Lillian.
Lillian smiled wryly, "Eh... y'know what... sure." (2)
Marionette nodded and held it over the fire. The hair that covered it slowly burned away.
As the two watched it cook, Marionette asked:
"Have you encountered one of these yet?"
After thinking about that, a salt shaker magically appeared in her hand.
"Huh... did I not use salt in the spaghetti?" Lillian tilted her head, "How clumsy..." she sighed, salting her roasted limb before biting into it. The taste was slightly more bearable than before but still awful. (5)
Lillian then raised her eyes from it and stared at Marionette, who was staring at the salt shaker. She then asked in a neutral voice:
"May I borrow that, please?"
"Oh~? I guess even someone like you can't bear this kind of taste." Lillian playfully snickered, passing the salt to Marionette, who responded with a deadpan expression. (2)
"And someone like me is stuck with you. Better get used to it while we're here."
Marionette salted the roasted limb before biting into it again, "... Seasoning does make things better it seems..." she muttered to herself, staring down at the limb before biting into it again.
***
"I'm surprised you aren't a tier two yet, Marionette. I thought someone like you would have already attempted it." Lillian patted the tree, "And did you appear close to here?" (3)
Marionette sat inside the canopy of the tree, cutting a branch off of it before chucking it down into the fire, responding in an indifferent tone.
"To answer your first question, I wanted to find the right one that would reward me with either a trait or an element closely related to darkness."
Marionette leapt down from the tree, brushing herself down before sitting.
"However, that plan of mine was now crushed due to the fact you had a Gatebearer within your ring."
Marionette then crossed her arms over her chest, "As for your second question, I was fortunate enough to appear right under this very tree."
She then glanced towards one of the dark archways leading outside the massive room, "But I wouldn't have any trouble appearing anywhere inside the Catacombs that was dark."
"Because you can see through it?"
Marionette nodded.
"Essentially, yes."
She then twisted her head towards Lillian, who continued to caress the tree.
Lillian was then unexpectedly lifted up by her throat.
Lillian clutched the hand around her neck, staring down at Marionette, who stared at her with an intense gaze.
"Now then, Lillian. Please explain to me why you had a Gatebearer stored inside your ring. You're not part of the Cult of Jesters, are you?"