Tisis

The twin towers (N)

Log entry 24

After saving this darn fool from certain death by drowning, we have set up camp near the lakeside shore at one of the outbound rivers, which transports the water from the lake somewhere else.

Because Sirus is a clumsy fool, who managed to cut himself while trying to prepare a replacement spear, I discovered something interesting.

As it appears, the 'healing effect' only applies to the lake itself.

When Sirus held his bleeding hand into the river water, despite it being no more than 100 meters away from the shore, all it did was wash the blood away, however neither did the mucus appear on his skin, neither did the cut disappear.

However when he, following my suggestion, placed it directly inside the lake, the mucus appeared almost immediately and when we peeled it off not even a minute later, the wound was gone entirely.

Something appears to be keeping the organisms within the lake boundaries.

A most baffling phenomenon, however one I cannot even begin to analyze, since I severely lack the necessary tools or training.

If, however, anyone should find these logs after my passing, I strongly advise them to examine this lake more thoroughly, for I assume that the possible applications of such a creature might well be vast.

"Done writing, Nym?" Sirus asks me from across the campfire, while he gently caresses Zero.

"Yeah, pretty much...alright now, what do you think we should do next?"

"Wait, you're honestly asking me? After giving me that whole lecture about being an irresponsible fool and all that?"

"Yes, I am asking you. Despite what happened today, I still consider you a somewhat intelligent creature, albeit one with an incredibly poor sense for decisions, so by asking you what we should do, I can then decide which strategy not to follow."

"Ouch...well, I guess I deserve that...either way, I think we should stick to the original plan and follow the river. If nothing else, it supplies us with drink and prey will also be a lot easier to come by, because they need to drink too. As you said: Water is life."

"...that is, in fact, also what I was thinking. Good to see that you are learning...but the next time I tell you something, I strongly suggest you actually listen to me. Understood?!"

Sirus winces under my stern gaze and replies almost timidly, "Yes, ma'am."

During the night, a small time predator tries to see how we might taste, however Zero's keen senses warn us way ahead of time and Sirus puts a quick end to it, securing some more food for himself.

At the crack of dawn, we extinguish the fire and continue heading down the river.

About half an hour in, Sirus suddenly starts to sing a strange tune which sounds terribly off-key, though I just don't have the heart to tell him off.

Something about 'going back to some boat on the river'...like he would even know what a 'boat' is...when I ask him about the song, he flashes me the brightest smile and replies, "It's one of the songs my people have been passing down from generation to generation. It popped into my mind when I looked down the river, and..."

He keeps on explaining on how they managed to pass down songs, despite the Asmodei doing everything in their power to destroy all remainders of their culture, but the sight on the horizon makes it all turn into a blur for me.

I stop dead in my tracks, raise my hand and point towards the two large, sleek, black, towering structures in the distance and ask, "Do...you see what I see?"

Sirus stops talking, raises his head and peers into the distance.
Finally he asks, "What...is that?"
"Towers...buildings! Proof of intelligent life! We made it, Sirus! We made it!"

I start running, completely disregarding Zero's whining at the sight.

The prospect of actually meeting civilized creatures, who might be able to supply us with shelter, company and potentially even the resources to return to the stars makes everything around me shut up.

I keep running, until a powerful force stops me from going forward, making me lose my balance and fall.

"What...are...you...doing?" I ask, while giving Sirus an angry look.
"Something's not right. Zero's acting weird...almost scared."
"Yeah well, he's an animal! He might be prey for those guys over there! But..."
"No, that's not it...I...I can't explain it, but...those...'towers' I think you called them? They...don't feel right. Like...they aren't what they seem to be."
"What, is your 'instinct' telling you that? News flash, the human instinct isn't worth shit. They relied on their tools and cooperation with each other to survive."
"Look, I know I screwed up back at the lake, but please...listen to your own advice. We don't know the first thing about this planet. Let's...just be careful, okay?"

Sirus let's go of me and his words ring in the back of my mind.
I hate it when he uses his own words against me.
And I have to admit, even if only to myself, that he's right.
I allowed myself to be blinded by the prospect of getting off this damn rock.

I really am no better than Sirus...not that I can tell him that or I'll never hear the end of it.

We continue to approach the towers, however the closer we get, the more restless Zero gets.
The ground is softening up too and our makeshift shoes often step into mud.

Sirus is right...something is not right here.

Nobody in their right mind would build a structure like that on ground this soft.

"Err...Nym?"
"Yes?"
"Are these...towers...supposed to be moving?"

I look up and sure enough the towers are swaying ever so slightly...however there is no wind to speak off right now and hardly enough to make a structure as tall shake.

What in the world...is that?