Chương 78: Trust Building Exercise

The Gym Rats retraced their steps through Threestone Forest in a kind of daze. More than a few times, Jordan looked back over his shoulder, expecting perhaps to see a white-robed woman chasing after him. No such apparition entered his vision, either at the peripheries or otherwise. Before long, sheer exhaustion overrode all other concerns. Jordan tore his mind away from vengeful ghosts to focus on the hike. Take it one laborious step at a time.

The Heavenly Cauldron rolled ponderously against his back, while its frayed [Tethers] dug painfully into his shoulders. The sun had come out by the time the two men made it back to the Padma estate. Jordan had half-expected the place to be gone —revealed to be a hallucination like too many things he'd come across recently. But there was the stable, half hidden underground and the rest camouflaged by dense greenery.

A horse whinnied as the travelers approached, and a stable hand—not Yarrow—ran inside to find the master of the house. The Gym Rats were quickly ushered into the nearest reception hall, where they guzzled fresh drinking water like their lives depended on it (because they did!). Only after about the umpteenth mouthful did it occur to Jordan where this water must've been drawn from. His momentum slowed precipitously then, from desperate gulps to hesitant sips.

With every sip, he thought he could feel himself fading into vapor… but he knew it was only his imagination. He checked the system. [Time remaining: 95 days, 2 hours, 45 minutes]. Which also meant a mere six days left on Little Bean's clock. Time was running out. Too quickly for Jordan to waste any of it beating around the bush. Which was why, as soon as Hanza Padma walked into the room, Jordan hit him with:" You do know something about Blacksnake Hollow, don't you?"

Pewter gaped at Jordan, a steamed bun raised halfway toward the open mouth. Hanza, on the other hand, froze for but a split second before composing his face into his usual smile. He then joined his guests at the table, where he gestured at the food." Won't you try some of the braised pork, Gatekeeper Yu? I finally managed to convince Old Lee to change her recipe."" Sure, I'll try it. But not before you tell us everything you know about Blacksnake Hollow.

And while we're at it, about why you chose to hide that information."" It sounds as though your trip has yielded some results. That is most welcome news. Come, pray tell me all that you've learned. Perhaps then, we could discuss what our next steps ought to be." Jordan narrowed his eyes. He studied Hanza's smile, which showed signs of neither mockery nor deflection. By now, he knew with near certainty that the Shaman hadn't been entirely honest in their interactions.

Yet, he also couldn't imagine this mild-mannered nobleman actively sabotaging his own people. Wisdom DC 15: success Shennong:"Methinks your instincts are correct, young one. Some would call me too trusting, perhaps, but I do believe this young man's dedication to his people to be genuine." Which allowed the possibility for a credible explanation behind Hanza's shiftiness. Jordan had nothing but his own gut feeling and a god's endorsement to make his judgment. He decided to give Hanza the benefit of the doubt."

Alright," he declared, still keeping a defiant edge to his voice, "I'll tell you what happened. Starting with this." Jordan produced the [Keepsake from Blacksnake Hollow] and slid it across the table, watching Hanza all the while. The latter did a remarkable job of masking his reaction, though his eyes did momentarily wobble as they took in the engraving upon the lid. The Shaman then picked up the box and turned it over several times, studying it intently. He didn't attempt to open the box."

Where did you—"" In the woods, on our way here five days ago. I guess we were already in Threestone Forest and just didn't know it."" You didn't simply pick this up in the woods, Gatekeeper. How exactly—"" A ghost. A Hearthkeeper woman dressed all in white. She trapped us in her illusions, and the only way for us to get out was to go down a well and help her find this box. Which was also how I got myself deathtouched." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation." Jordan!"

Pewter cut in, alarmed.

"Are you sure that's—"" It's alright, Pewter. Hanza and I were both lying to each other, no doubt for what we both believed were the right reasons. At least now, it's all out in the open, and this is where we start building some proper trust. Funny how that works, eh, Hanza?" Did Hanza agree with that sentiment? It was a little hard to tell, what with the man's only reaction being a brief, reluctant chuckle. The kind reserved for bad jokes that only worked because of the present company.

After a beat, the Shaman slid the box back toward the Gatekeeper." So," he spoke mildly, studious gaze now turned onto his deathtouched guest, "five days ago, did you say? You have, what, 95 days remaining?"" Give or take a few hours."" Is that why you agreed to the quest? To find a cure for yourself?"" No, I really did— do —want to help your people. And the pay is good, that's a big reason too. Besides, even if I'd wanted to refuse, Pewter here definitely wouldn't let me. He's the moral fiber of our party.

Isn't that right, Pewter?" Pewter looked hopelessly between his two companions—one of them now very honest—and gave a nod, as earnest as he could manage in the circumstance. This elicited another chuckle from Hanza, one noticeably warmer than the last." Understood," the Shaman said.

"You have 95 days left to cure yourself of deathtouch, but you're determined to do it much sooner for the sake of strangers you'd met all of three days ago. Somehow I do believe you, and I've grown surer than ever that you're the man for the job… though I can't quite fathom what has led me to that conclusion. Help me out, Gatekeeper?"" A great man once told me to pay it forward. Help those in need and spread kindness to all the lost souls of Stormvast. I'm just happy to know that I'm doing right by him.""

It sounds as though this man had a wonderful influence on you."" The best." Hanza nodded, his smile now taking on a distinctly wistful character." Tell me what you found in the forest, Gatekeeper Yu."" We made it to Yellowspring Grotto. The ghosts tried to scare us away, but Pewter and I pushed through it. It's sort of what we do. Then there was this souped-up Twigman that got in our way, almost seemed like it was standing guard over the entrance. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?""

Not me personally, no. But Threestone Forest does have a deep and convoluted history. It won't be surprising in the least if some of those roiling intents and memories over the centuries have manifested a sort of guardian spirit."" Lucky us, I guess. Anyway, after we dispatched the Twigman, we tried a few different ways to investigate Yellowspring Grotto. The only thing that worked—short of us physically walking into the damn cave—was this." Jordan gestured with the wooden box. Hanza leaned in a little closer."

The cave tried to pull you in?"" Something like that. Or, it was more like the box wanted to push its way in. Either way, all this coincided with… I guess a ghost trying to talk to us. A woman's voice imploring us not to leave her in the cave. And then she mentioned two names, begging them for forgiveness. One was Shaza, the other Hanza." Hanza's reaction was as mild as ever, but also unmistakable for what it was.

His body tensed at the first mention of'Shaza', indicating it to be a name of some significance to the sitting lord of House Padma. He then sat still and silent for several seconds—certainly the longest pause on record for the talkative Shaman—before letting out a long sigh." You've done well, Gatekeeper Yu. And you, Tetherer Sapling. I can now see that my trust hadn't been ill-placed. That you both have every right to wear that [Emblem] on your person."" Do you trust us, Lord Padma? Truly?"

This, surprisingly, from Pewter. Up until now, the Tetherer had been listening in patient silence, half-eaten bun long forgotten.

"My friend Jordan has told you everything he knows. I rather hoped that you might consider returning the favor." Another pause, much shorter than the last. Lord Padma nodded as though he'd come to a decision." Too right, Tetherer. Though my trust had been well-placed, I now see that my caginess had been anything but. I've done you a disservice as your quest giver, and nearly failed my people because of it. Allow me presently to correct said deficiencies… starting with this."

It was the Shaman's turn to mirror the Gatekeeper's movement from earlier. Almost exactly. For he too reached into his sleeve to produce a small wooden box. One also engraved with a black snake upon its lid. The only difference was that this box was just slightly ajar, revealing the faint rosy glow emanating from within." Holy shit," Jordan murmured in astonishment as understanding dawned.

"That's your Vessel, isn't it? The Box of Remembrance? And it's also got the marking of Blacksnake Hollow on it. But that means…?" Now that the knot had been undone, Jordan thought the answer might come to him in a neat sequence. But he quickly realized that he was still missing some important context. As such, he shut up and let the man with the knowledge do all the talking."

I'd held out hope," Hanza mused, once more looking strangely wistful, "that there might be an external solution to the maledictions that have plagued this house. That the cure could be sourced from elsewhere, without me having to venture out of the estate… having to leave my people to fend for themselves. But I see now how naive I'd been. For the two of you have brought back proof that the touch of death runs far deeper than a mere hundred days.

That the spirits of the nether realm call out for us still, clinging to a grudge that dates back 1, 800 years." Jordan held his breath. Hanza met his gaze, and for at least one moment, a kind of shadow fell over the man's face. For at least one split second, the Lv. 20 Shaman looked to be far older than his 30 years." It's time, honored guests, that I let you in on a jealously guarded secret. The blood-soaked history of House Padma, and the blackest of intents that yet roil within the hollow of our hearts."