37: The Hall of the Luminous, Part Two

The Hall of the Luminous, Part Two

"Our city is called Rorvan," Minerva said, as she guided Neve through the city's gorgeous streets. It was a paradox. There were so many people that it was hard to move, but at the same time it felt desolate. "It has existed for decades. Though, our perception of time has been harmed over the years, due to the Infested Hall."

[The same thing happened to Erin... In that case, is it safe to assume that these people and this city are "replicas" like Erin was? They're not 'real'?]

A few glances at her surroundings let her know that the inhabitants of Rorvan were quite curious about her. Understandably so, as she was a complete outsider, but she felt odd being gawked at so blatantly. Looking back at them, however, Neve noticed something that felt odd.

[Everyone is... kinda old. Minerva's daughter, Ahlakan is the youngest-looking person I've seen so far, though I don't know if these people age in exactly the same way as humans. But if they do, then, yeah. It seems like the average age is 30, maybe 40 years old?]

"The Ministress's Hall is this way," Ahlakan stated, pointing at a building that looked quite small and unimpressive compared to everything around it. "Come."

As they arrived at the building, walking in, Neve was, once again, surprised to see so many similarities between these people's designs and that of humans. The furniture, their choice of decorations, and even the building's structure were all the same.

[Did this place always look so human? Or, did the Forces That Be adjust the city to make it more understandable for human players?]

They went up the steps at the back and arrived at what could easily be confused for some random small business owner's office.

Instead, apparently, the most important person in the city was sitting behind the desk at the back.

Narrowed black eyes fell on Neve and a woman with short white hair with golden braids, and many different tattoos on her face looked back at Neve, instantly cautious.

"Ministress Jia," Minerva said, bowing, "this is Neve. She claims to have been sent here to deal with the Infested Hall."

Quickly, Jia raised a brow.

"Hm..." Jia stood up from her chair. The dress she had on, dirty grey with two slits at the sides, came into view. She was easily the tallest person Neve had seen so far. "You are not exactly one of us. Who are you?"

"Um, I'm a human. A race from the surface," she explained. "It's as Minerva said. I'm here to help with the Hall of- I mean, the Infested Hall."

She hoped using the word "help" instead of "deal" would lessen the ministress's caution. Predictably, it did not.

"Is that so? Do you expect me to believe that someone who traversed the Infested Hall and came out unscathed is not conspiring with it and its creators?"

"What?" Neve asked. "I... What do you mean? I didn't come from there."

"Oh? And how exactly did you arrive in our city, then? The only way in and out is blocked by the Infested Hall, hence why we have been kept here for so long."

"Um, ministress..."

"Yes?" She asked, turning toward Minerva with some annoyance.

"She..." Almost as though she realized how untrue her statement would sound before she even said it, she sighed halfway through. "She fell."

"Excuse me?"

"She fell, ma'am."

"..."

There was a pause.

[Yeah, that's probably hard to believe.]

"HA!" Jia burst out laughing. Tears popped up at the corners of her eyes. "She fell!?" She laughed more, cackling as she sat back down in her chair. "From where?"

"From a structure up above," Neve answered, completely seriously. "Into the Blessed Lake."

"..." Jia's laughter calmed down. "Ah, you're being serious?"

[... This is already getting annoying.] 

Neve took a couple of steps forward.

"I'm quite literally not one of you, as you can tell," Neve replied. "And, both Ahlakan and Minerva are witnesses. Why would they-"

A blade touched Neve's neck.

She stopped.

Jia wasn't in front of her, anymore.

Neve's eyes widened. Jia now stood right next to her, with a knife pressed against Neve's throat.

"You claim you're here to deal with the Infested Hall and yet you couldn't even react to a middle-aged woman's half-hearted attack? You understand why I would find that hard to believe, right?"

Inhaling slowly, Neve did her best to remain calm. Keeping her tone steady, she replied:

"... It's true regardless."

"Tsk," Jia clicked her tongue. "If it is true that Ahlakan and Minerva can both verify that you did not come out from the Infested Hall, then, sure, go ahead. Do what you want. Go run back into it, go kill yourself, or find a nice hole to settle in and rot away as the rest of us are. I don't care. We're all doomed regardless," she stated, looking back briefly at Ahlakan and her mother.

"We apologize for bothering you," Minerva said, bowing again. "May we provide Neve with shelter while she is here?"

"You can do as you wish."

"Thank you."

On that cold note, Minerva walked out and Neve followed her.

"Uh... That went... well, kinda?" Neve replied. "At least I'm not being imprisoned."

"I apologize for how harsh she was but... Hope is not something we have in abundance. Your indirect attempt at trying to provide some was unwelcome, I guess."

"What's going on?" Neve asked. "I'm guessing it has to do with that accusation she threw out?"

"Indeed," Minerva replied. "Neve, come. I will explain on the way home."

She followed Minerva and her daughter out of the building.

As they reemerged back out onto the streets of Rorvan, Neve caught a glimpse of the Infested Hall, or Hall of the Luminous as the System referred to it. A church-like building with a strange symbol painted onto it outside, it stood at the center of a spot where the rocky walls around the city narrowed, forming a giant, natural corridor.

She could tell there was some sort of a path behind it, but there was clearly no way to get to it without going through the Infested Hall.

"Although we've only been populating Rorvan for a few decades, this city was built over a thousand years ago," Minerva said. "We believe it was made so that our kind could take shelter from the harsh storms that plagued the surface, but it was not meant to be a place where we lived in isolation forever. Some time ago, however, that building, which was once a holy temple, suddenly began spawning dangerous creatures."

They reached a cozy, small building where Minerva gestured for Neve to come in. The interior was as quaint as the apartment Neve lived in back at Starlight.

"We tried to run past them, but the doors would not open. We tried breaking the building down, but no matter what sorts of spells or boulders we launched at it, it kept standing. And, we tried to dispose of the creatures but, unfortunately, it seemed like no matter how hard we tried, they just kept appearing. Again, and again. Eventually, the casualties were determined to be too great and we accepted the terrible reality. We were stuck here."

"I'm going to my room," Ahlakan muttered, walking past Neve.

"Alright," Minerva replied to her, before turning back toward the human. "Since then, we lost all communication with our kin outside. And, well... We stopped trying to escape. Because we're out of ideas."

"Uh, wow," Neve replied as Minerva nodded toward a nearby couch. Neve sat down with her. "How have you guys survived? Where do you get your food from?"

"We had some food stockpiled and it helped us get through the first few years, but... I can't remember the last time I ate," Minerva replied. "But, our bodies refuse to starve to death."

[Erin kind of implied something like that back when I talked to her at Roha. So, that confirms that they probably aren't 'real'.]

"Countless warriors... including Ahlakan's father, have been thrown at the Infested Hall, Neve. And, all we've accomplished is to crowd the city's cemetery. I'm sure you understand why we are so skeptical."

"Yeah, I get it." Neve stood up. "But, that really is why I'm here. Is there any place where I can lie down for a little, though? I'm... I'm kinda tired."2

She wasn't lying, but she also needed to have a long talk with Erin before she walked into the Infested Hall. It was best to get that out of the way before she got started.

"Sure. We have a guest room upstairs. Come."

Minerva took her to a room with a single green bed, a mirror, and drawers beneath it. It looked like no one had stepped foot in here for years.

"I'm just going to get some rest first and then I'll head to the Infested Hall, okay?"

"Let me know when you're going to go," Minerva said. "I... I would like to see if you truly are speaking the truth."

"Okay."

She was left alone then, inside that room, as this family's guest.

First, she spoke to Tamira.

[So, can you tell me what happened here? Are the "real" versions of these people actually alive, stuck somewhere?]

Tamira's response came quickly.

"What? You want me to explain everything right now!? Where's the fun in that?" She asked. "If you want to know more about this place, I will tell you once you beat the Hall of the Luminous."

[... Fine. That was all, you can go.] 

"Toodles, as you humans say~"

She disappeared and, setting that aside, it was time to have a conversation that would probably end with Neve's summon having an existential breakdown.

As long as it didn't impact her fighting prowess, Neve was fine with that but... At the same time, she found herself hoping Erin didn't take things too badly.

[I honestly could have done without them blurring the line between "person" and "summon" so damn much. But... if I didn't have anyone to talk to throughout this stupid little journey of mine, would I have gone crazy?]

She shook her head.

[Whatever. Let's just get this over with.]

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