Cool Stone, Twisted Faces

Sentinel Island - Jungle Northeast of Zar'Tir
JP with Lorem and Omni

Gonyaul, having found a seat on a large boulder, sank down with a sigh. The cool stone was a welcome relief. As he settled in, his gaze wandered over the rough surface of the boulder. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed faint, primitive carvings etched into the rock.

Faces. They were crudely made and worn by the passage of countless years, almost as old as the rocks themselves. The features were rudimentary, yet they held a certain haunting quality. Some of the faces seemed to be twisted in expressions of pain or fear, their mouths open in silent screams. Others appeared more serene, their eyes closed as if in eternal slumber.

As Gonyaul traced the lines with his eyes, he noticed a dark, rusty stain on one of the faces. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be blood? The stain seemed old, yet its presence was unsettling. There were more stains, seeming permanent as if the hue had soaked into the pores of the stone. He glanced around the clearing, but the others were lost in their own thoughts or tasks, unaware of his discovery.

Curiosity piqued, he decided to break the silence. Gonyaul called out, his voice tentative and in a harsh whisper, “what make you of this boulder? It is different from the pillars we encountered earlier. Might it serve the same purpose though?”

Heegen’s eyes widened as soon as he saw the boulder, and he took an instinctive step back. “Nay, Vaux, come away from that accursed stone. It is no mere rock or work of art.”

The others stood in silent caution, looking around the jungle for the hint of abnormal sound or movement as Draza gestured for Gonyaul to move, her tone insistent.

Her expression was one of immediate concern. “Aye, heed him now and heed him well. Those stones be ancient and evil, cursed by blood, surely of those sacrificed unto the ancient one.”

Her voice dropped to a near whisper, laced with a hint of fear. “Those be not wards of protection, but tools of the Kidata. ‘Tis said they speak to the ancient one, a conduit for his mind. The faces carved thereupon, we believe they watch, they see. As do our own pillars in a similar fashion. To linger near them is to invite the his gaze upon thee.”

Heegen nodded, his demeanor serious and cautious. “Let us make haste to the village and stay vigilant.”

Gonyaul hopped spritely off the stone upon command. He turned to look it over from a distance once more, much like appraising a piece of artwork. The sculpted rock was now more interesting than it previously was because of the new information their caution rendered to it. This was a potential communication device with this threatening ancient one; the unkind visitor of his dreams of late. Gonyaul wanted to have a proper discourse with whatever it was, perhaps this was a means to do so he pondered.

“A great gift is to give one your attention. Perhaps this ancient one and I need to have a proper conversation without all the guile and illusion?” He spoke out loud in a whispered tone.

Gonyaul picked up his load and affirmed them both that he was ready to proceed at whatever pace they set.