Chapter 100: The demon’s representation? (1/2)
Chapter 100: The demon’s representation?
“Datara, Datara.”
The forest trolls on the outskirts also bowed down reverently in the din of the forest trolls’ shouts and began shouting loudly as well.
“What, what’s going on?” Not only Han Shuo, but the dwarves and elves around them were also astonished by the sudden change. One of the dwarves asked in sudden stupefaction.
“The skeletal warrior with wings seems to be similar to the demon that the forest trolls worship. This demon is innately evil and loves to seize everything. I’ve heard elders within the tribe mention that the demon the forest trolls worship is called Datara!” Benedict seemed to recall something at this point and suddenly cried out.
Not too far in the distance, a forest troll priest, so old that it seemed like it would close its eyes in final slumber at any moment, crawled swiftly towards the little skeleton on its knees. Han Shuo was rather taken aback that he crawled pretty fast, and had reached the little skeleton in a short while. The old forest troll priest murmured some things in the forest troll language at the little skeleton.
The little skeleton stood there in a stupor with his bone dagger, scratching his bright and clean skullcap, as if not knowing what was going on. He turned back to look at Han Shuo with an empty gaze, as if waiting for Han Shuo to give him orders.
Upon hearing Benedict’s words, Han Shuo had a pretty good idea that something marvelous had happened. These forest trolls must have thought that the little skeleton was the demon that they worshipped. The old priest seemed to want to take the little skeleton somewhere, judging from its interactions. All the forest trolls in the back were frozen in worship on the ground, and no one mentioned the matter of invading the dwarf village again.
“Han, what’s going on, what should we do?” A dwarf looked at Han Shuo and asked blankly.
Han Shuo was thinking furiously when he heard the dwarf’s question. His head also ached with the difficulty of the situation. He waffled for a second, unsure what would happen afterwards and said to them, “I’ll think of a way to delay the forest trolls. You guys leave the valley immediately and find a safe place with the chief and Bennett. I think I will be able to find you guys again.”
“Will it be dangerous for you?” The dwarf was a bit uneasy at leaving Han Shuo’s side and spoke a bit reluctantly.
“No worries, I have my ways to handle them. Benedict I think your party should leave as well. My skeletal warrior is a bit odd, but I don’t think he’s the demon that the forest trolls worship. I can’t predict how well the situation will develop afterwards either, I think you’ll be safer if you left with them.” Han Shuo tried to slowly persuade the dwarves and elves that he was looking at.
“We’ll be leaving, it’s very dangerous here. I think we should notify the elders first.” Benedict thought briefly, nodded and retreated with the other elves after speaking.
Under Han Shuo’s urgings, the dwarves also left slowly, unwillingly to the mountain valley. One of the original demons, that had continuously been observing the forest trolls, suddenly split off and followed the dwarves as they retreated. This allowed Han Shuo to clearly view the path that the dwarves were taking to escape.
After a short while, there was no one else in the entrance to the village apart from Han Shuo and the little skeleton. Han Shuo’s original demon had been observing the dwarves’ movements and discovered that they were traversing a cold river and leaving from a diagonal crack in the mountain valley.
“Does anyone here speak the common tongue of the Continent?” Han Shuo walked out from the back and stood beside the little skeleton, asking in the language of the humans.
The old priest, that had been kneeling in front of the little skeleton and talking to him in the forest troll language, suddenly looked up at Han Shuo, using the language of the humans in a slightly unpracticed manner, “You are with the mighty Datara, why are you a tricky human?”
“Are you sure that he’s the same as your Datara?” Han Shuo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he shook his head and asked oddly.
The face of the forest troll was a ghastly green and the dry skin that hung all over his body was like old tree bark that had been weathered by the wind and rains for many years. He displayed a look of extreme contempt and said, “Of course I wouldn’t be wrong, this is the representation of the divine Datara on this earth.”
As the old priest spoke, he solemnly took out a treasured ancient scroll from a leather bag. The scroll was slowly unfurled as his wizened hands opened it. Apart from a few squiggly lines in the forest troll language that were hard to make out, it was a picture of an enormous skeleton with wings on its back. The skeleton’s bones were a pure white and the wings on its back were bare of feathers. Based on the photo, the wings truly did bear a great deal of resemblance to the bone spurs on the little skeleton’s back.
There was a barren mountain peak beneath this large, white skeleton’s foot with all sorts of gold, silver, and jewelry piled up on the mountain peak, including some jewels that looked quite precious. The white skeleton had an empty socket for one eye and a black eyepatch covering the other, the outfit of a single eyed pirate who would burn, raid, and loot.
“This is the appearance of our mighty Datara, we wouldn’t be wrong. He is the representative of Datara in this world and will lead us to even more gold, silver, and jewelry. We’ll have so many jewels and food that we will never starve.The mighty Datara will lead our tribe to seize the lands of the tricky humans!” The tone of the old forest troll priest had become strangely fervent and he shouted loudly.
Apart from being slightly smaller and not pure white, the little skeleton was indeed quite similar to the Datara depicted on the scroll. No wonder the greedy forest trolls had thought the little skeleton was the representative of the looting demon Datara.
Although the unimaginably queer situation made Han Shuo feel quite surprised, a sudden thought struck him as he mused carefully. A trace of a wicked smile appeared on his lips as he gave a command to the little skeleton.
The little skeleton that had originally been dumbly standing there with bone dagger in hand suddenly waved the bone dagger at this moment, as his empty left hand made a gesture indicating for everyone to rise.
“Oh! Datara has heard our prayers!” The old forest troll priest immediately capered in great excitement as his chicken-like feet, withered hands also waved, speaking very ceremoniously in the low forest troll language.