The Ghost King's KeeperCh10 - A dead Town

Ruzen sat above the paved platform right behind the burial grounds of the desert town. A foul stench of the deceased roared under his nose, as a recent dead body rotted away under the sun. Even the cold darkness of the night hadn’t been able to curb the stench, so one can assume how foul it was in the heat of the sun.

Yes, Ruzen had been sitting in the same place before even the sun came up. The night had presented perfect escape opportunity, the pathway clear and most people asleep in their beds, but no, Ruzen and his recent companion, Za’Jin, weren’t looking for an escape so quick, they were hungry for revenge, at least Ruzen was, and the strange quietness from the deities literally slapped away their expectation. yXd83p

“Are they avoiding us?” The bait, Ruzen, asked for the tenth time, his brows tensed and his body fidgety. Under the glaring sun, the sharp red hair of the other male almost made him blind. The only relief was the deep black robes he wore, which somewhat eased the eyes.

The relaxed stance of the other man would have been inviting, if not for the glaringly obvious warning signs deflecting any friendly approach.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

A person who wore such solemn garbs, kept messy uncombed hair, and had stony deep blue gaze, wasn’t looked upon kindly, they were threatening. Even the open display of the cursed mark on his forehead warranted crude remarks and unkind gestures.

  oFgvYh

Truly bold he was, thought Ruzen, skeptical of Za’Jin.

The tall man was humming to himself, cheerfully dancing around weirdly, curling his fingers and uncurling them, jumping and swirling, he was too funny to not laugh at, although his heavy aura kept Ruzen silent in the background.

“You know they will come… the others (Townsfolks) are also awake now that the sun is up, I wonder what they plan to do since they know we are aware of their fraud methods of capturing unsuspecting travelers.”

“Right,” Ruzen said, eyeing the man, “How were they able to capture you? Aren’t you all big and mighty?” The question ended up being snarkier than it was supposed to be, making Ruzen grimace at himself.

Za’Jin’s eyes flashed at him, the stare almost freezing and cold, but not rude, “You ask too many questions, but hear hear, they drugged my food, some nasty thing it was, or else I am too smart to fall for traps.”

Refraining from rolling his eyes, Ruzen kept a straight face, “I see, anyhow, what is the plan, you’re just going to make me sit hear all day?”

“The plan is simple, you are the bait, I am the killer. Wait for people to come this way, you just need to sit and watch.”

As simple as that maybe, Ruzen was pretty sure the other man was boasting a bit, because after all was said and done, those deities mustn’t be simple. w3SC K

After a night of healing, Ruzen was amazed to see the result, his entire body was healed and he was no longer aching. But his strength… it lacked the previous vigor, the vitality was missing. He would have questioned it more if not for his empty stomach. Since even after escaping, they were going hungry, Za’Jin had been paranoid that every bit of food could be poisoned, which now made sense actually, seeing he had been drugged and captured.

It made Ruzen wonder what kind of poison it was that even the strong nosed Za’Jin couldn’t catch the scent of. And here he called others easy.

A cacophony of loud shouts distracted them both, as they saw the town’s folks grouping up together and marching across the vast unkept graveyard, the threatening display rather alarming.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Vfflcu atja atf rec kjr eq jcv rbwf alwf tjv qjrrfv, Eehfc kjrc’a rtbmxfv ys atf wjrrfr, tf jcv tlr mbwqjclbc tjv jmaejiis yffc kjlalcu obg atfw. Sjgilfg atfs tjv rffc j ofk oluegfr ja vlrajcmf, yea ibbxr ilxf, atf obixr tjv olcjiis vfmlvfv ab yjcv abufatfg jcv jqqgbjmt atfw. kPnLgj

Took a serious load of time actually, which was surprising.

“So they finally decided to confront us…”

“…you mean…?”

Za’Jin snorted, “Oh, you cannot be that dumb! They were waiting for the deities to take care of us instead, but now that nobody is here, they decided to recapture us. The ritual must have taken place within some enclosed space we weren’t privy to, or else we would have noticed the ceremonial remnants.” caT1AZ

“I see.”

“You don’t need to do anything, you hear me?” Za’Jin inquired, a frown marring his face, “I don’t need extra trouble while I am at it.”

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Ruzen wasn’t brazen enough to not know his own strength, but he was also not sitting still if someone targeted him, the small stones he had gathered from the graveyard were at least big enough to hit someone on the head with, “I refuse to stay still and do nothing if I am in danger.”

Za’Jin wasn’t impressed, but he didn’t seem to press upon it, “Then I won’t be bothered, you deal with them if you are so set on fighting.” 0GOuiJ

“I am not set on fighting!” Ruzen growled, he was irritated with how much of a dunce the other man was at times, “I am saying I would defend myself if I become the target.”

“As I said, it only gives me a reprieve them, you are strong enough to fight on your own.”

Eyes twitching, Ruzen didn’t speak again, and Za’Jin also did not try to put up any conversation as he stared back at the angry mob ahead.

~~ LREtsx

A wall of gigantic rocky terrain with sharp cliffs stood between Manjo and Saruli, both cities had been established long before as a stoppage point – ordinate to each other – where visitors from the established trade routes would settle and sell their treasury.

Now after thousands of years, Manjo had thrived, while Saruli had disintegrated into smaller towns and villages. One of the least prosperous Town around Manjo, Kalaur, was still far better than any in Saruli… or rather what was left of Saruli.

The backward older generation had integrated with weak willed ingrates, who were born with coward’s blood and eyes blinder than the truly blind. It led to corruption, hazardous management, brutal dark rituals and birth of those who mocked even their mothers.

The situation was so poor, even traders had started to decline the riches and wealth still bouncing in the thick pockets of the upper Sarulians. It was as if everyone expected to be murdered in their sleep should they traverse the Sarulian dunes. The conditions were so bad, many towns had turned into dead ones, truly dysfunctional and uncatering. 4v0E2s

The dire need to survive alone would have forced the weaker to leave for Manjo, but unfortunately, the rocky terrain standing tall like a solid wall between Saruli and Manjo deterred the majority from risking their lives.

Now one would question how the trading route between the two cities faced such obstacle, how were the traders avoiding such menace?

Answer was, only the favorites of Deity Aarur would get the token of pass, and only he would see who was worthy enough to cross his domain.

Maybe his recent presence was what resulted into Saruli’s disintegration, but his greedy heart couldn’t help craving for offerings that required great investment. No common trader would be able to survive his requirements, and thus fewer merchants were willing to cross the great rocky terrain. 6sM4rt

A common man couldn’t even dream of crossing over to Manjo, and thus had to go around the hills, which was almost impossible, seeing as Manjo was situated in the cradle of valleys surrounded by even more dangerous chaos, the only safer route being the rocky terrains.

The towns and villages around Manjo weren’t even safe, only the presence of the Ghost King kept it shielded from intruders.

The shield alone kept the subjects safe from sudden invasion, even from the Deities who eyed their offering, which led to the Deities being angry at the denial of a good worshiping. So no wonder, blindsided by yearning and years of neglect, a stray Deity, such as deity Aarur of wealth, settled himself in the creaks of Rocky Terrain. He was well aware that his presence was unwanted, but his confidence only grew with the lack of inspection around the area, nobody complained, and he drew strength from negligence.

Now, deities such as Aarur, loved few things, two of them being, Wealth and Worship… but there was another third desire he blatantly shared with others, in hopes of quenching his thirst. His every form, his every avatar loved only one thing the most. f1 p2E

Hunting Cursed Ones.

So the Deity made sure he showed his gratitude by delivering tokens, a free unobstructed passage to Manjo in return for a Cursed one.

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However, a thorn always kept prickling his sides, he was always surrounded by several other lower ranked Deities who trampled his treasures in hopes of gaining his attention, they called themselves his followers, but they in fact were only looking to devour his offerings.

But as strange as it was, they never hid their actions from him, reason why he currently stood on the steepest of cliff and overlooked what could be called a dead town. The visage of ruined humans hung around the rotten core of what once was a flourishing and established merchant’s town, but despite the plain contempt seeping their roots, despite the anger and helplessness hiding in the hearts of the town’s folks, Deity Aarur didn’t even blink at his own handiwork. Hh3RB

“We are following their every move, two cursed ones lay on sight.”

Deity Aarur didn’t deem it right to respond to his followers, but within his core, the hunger for blood reared an ugly head. It had been a while since he last slaughtered a cursed one.

~~

Ruzen couldn’t stand seeing the revolting look of greed and craziness flashing in the eyes of these people. They were eerily hollow and lacked any kind of emotion deemed humane. 5ML2dm

In his entire lifetime, he had never once seen people who represented death so solidly, even he himself hadn’t looked so lifeless after his brother’s death as they looked now. They did not have pitchforks or torches in hand, no, they were all bulking with inhuman muscles and swirls of black shadows as it wriggled under their feet.

If he hadn’t been a transmigraty himself, he would have thought this was one of his worst nightmares.

The small stones behind his back now only represented his plight, they were of no use against such people.

Well, he should have known, he had been tortured and used under supernatural restrictions, but this was new, he never expected them to have so many shadows, and so many brutes hiding under their belts. yEzTq6

“You cannot escape now, you are our only chance at summoning the deity, only he can save us.” The same older male Ruzen had met earlier spoke, his voice quivery now as if he had suffered the night prior.

Anger tore through Ruzen, he did not care what they said, why would he care about them, their own history had nothing to do with him! “To save yourself you almost killed me,” he snapped, “What right do you have to use me, to use anyone? Your suffering doesn’t mean I need to suffer as well.”

“That maybe, but do you know this town once was prosperous, the children were well fed, the households were happy, the traders fought to sell their merchandises to us… all that gone!”

An almost psychotic smile graced his lips, his bulging eyes gleaming with glazed light, “All that gone so fast, we weren’t even prepared. We can’t leave, we can’t hide, we can’t trade, we can no more survive… all because of that Ghost King! All because he cannot even see what is there right beneath his toes, he cares only for Manjo, cares not for us, or for any other.” 9pncRu

The shrill coarse laughter startled Ruzen, as he watched the mental man laughing to the skies as the others around him stayed still, a pint of hatred burning in their pupils.

Several meters stood between the two parties, but Ruzen felt vulnerable under their penetrative gazes. He wondered who this Ghost King was that had made his subjects so angry at him.

A sharp throat clearing disrupted the crazy old man, who abruptly stopped, eyeing the other cursed one with blazing red hair. “Oh lord,” Za’Jin mused, “you all really go blaming the one who is not even at fault. The ghost king isn’t someone you can speak about so crudely, why not blame the deity? Those little fools who have your only hope dashed and are willingly suppressing your freedom?”

“The deities are ready to accept our offering,” a burly male pointed out, his lips snarling, his eyes haunted, “at least they are listening to us, but what about the ghost king? Where is he anyway, all he does is protect Manjo and the ghosts, he doesn’t care about us… he doesn’t cares about us humans!” 6GFSrw

Ruzen watched as Za’Jin suddenly took a threatening step towards the Townsfolk, his back tensed and his fists clenched, “You don’t even know anything, better keep that trap shut, or I might shut it myself.”

“You are the same aren’t you, a loyal dog to the only one who could shelter you,” another town’s folk quipped, his tone sneering.

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Za’Jin wasn’t any better, a bit frazzled as he growled, “So what if I am, he is someone worthy of admiration, unlike your deities who only thirst for war and blood.”

Having kept quiet for this long, Ruzen was the first one to notice the strange small dot hovering in the sky, or rather traveling in the sky. A thunderous fleet of cloud rolling around it. Edl b3

“I think the deities are here… Za’Jin.”

“Oh that isn’t a Deity,” Za’Jin replied, enjoying the startled look on the townsfolks, “He is a friend.”