"Do you understand what I mean, Dallen?"
Muidoc's voice was low and soft, as if revealing a secret after a long wait. And at the end of his words, there was a faint tremor mixed in.
"Can you comprehend it? No matter how exquisite the flavor, the time is far too short."
Dallen couldn't respond even after hearing Muidoc's words. The cold, sticky air lingered in the room, and the lukewarm warmth of the alcohol wrapping around his body only heightened the chills. Muidoc's shadow slowly approached, narrowing the distance between them even further.
Drawing closer, Muidoc smiled and added slowly.
"With teeth and the tip of the tongue raised, slicing open the flesh of that tiny bird, holding it in the mouth, and savoring the taste leisurely... even then..."
Muidoc let out a long breath.
"The time passes far too quickly."
His voice carried a rising excitement, and Dallen felt a sharp, unstable energy bursting from Muidoc's body the moment those words ended.
Muidoc quietly leaned toward Dallen, exhaling breaths that seemed to burst with irrepressible ecstasy, unknowingly.
"Ha... Haha... Haa..."
Muidoc's fragmented breaths reached Dallen's ears softly.
As if whispering to himself, Muidoc murmured.
"But the next dish I will taste... won't end so quickly... Right..."
His words cut off abruptly, and a silence so profound that the faint footsteps of a small insect in the darkness could be heard filled the room.
And even that stillness lasted only a moment, shattered by a loud cry echoing from outside the room.
"Aaaargh!"
Dallen's mind plunged into chaos in an instant. The unidentified scream from outside hinted that something was happening. The voices of several people shouting seemed to draw nearer, followed by footsteps from afar mingled with someone's low cry. And sharp clangs of metal clashing together also rang out.
Muidoc's expression twisted for a brief moment. He glanced toward the door of the room and soon smiled again.
"Oh dear, it's quite noisy outside..."
Before his words could finish, the door to the dark room creaked open. Cold air rushed into the room as Arina appeared.
She entered the room with her long hair cascading down, draped in a black gown. Dallen couldn't see her form, but the intense presence emanating from her gait carried an atmosphere similar to Muidoc's.
"Arina, it's unlike you to rush in like that. What's the matter?"
Muidoc asked in a subdued voice. His tone revealed a composure that didn't find her sudden appearance displeasing.
"Muidoc."
She replied in a calm yet sharp voice.
"There's a commotion outside. Perhaps someone has followed the Muwa you brought here all the way to this place."
Muidoc tilted his head and slowly approached Dallen. His hand carefully lifted the wine glass placed by Dallen's head.
"A pursuit... Intriguing."
Muidoc swirled the glass once, then slowly leaned toward Dallen.
"Have they come to rescue a friend? Hmm... I was certain no one was following."
Arina walked slowly through the room, surveying her surroundings. Her gaze was sharp, as if trying to pierce through everything in the room, and as she paced, her fingertips lightly brushed over the hilt of the sword at her waist.
"Hmm~ Well, I suppose I should head out as well."
"Then... I'll follow shortly. I'm curious about the situation outside."
He rose from his seat, moving away from Dallen, and picked up a nearby bottle of wine as he spoke.
"Dallen, isn't it time you accepted this journey? There's no reason to refuse. Or rather... even if there is a reason, I'll compel you anyway, hehehehehe."
"Ugh..."
Dallen felt a constant clash of resentment and fear within his mind. Bound and blindfolded, unable to do anything, he despaired at the growing sensation that he was becoming like the ortolan Muidoc had mentioned.
*****
As Arina opened the door and stepped out of the room, Muidoc followed her slowly. The moment they stepped through the door, a vast cavern space unfolded before their eyes.
In the center of the wide cavern space, atop a lake, floated a massive sailing ship. It was Arina's abode. Even from afar, it was unmistakably large and conspicuous. And above the ship, a bright light illuminated the surroundings even in the darkness, streaming from an enormous crystal embedded in the cavern ceiling, subtly reflecting off the lake's ripples. The shimmering reflections created the illusion that the lake itself was breathing.
Besides Arina's ship, several other vessels floated on the lake, but the one where Muidoc and Arina stood was the largest. Its massive sails were clearly visible even in the darkness, and despite the lack of strong winds in the cavern, the flag swayed lazily, producing a faint fluttering sound.
Muidoc walked with Arina to the end of the deck. The creaking of the wooden planks underfoot reached his ears. He leaned against the railing and looked down at the area below, where voices of several people echoed.
At the lake's edge, between dull rocky paths, a large shadow was visible. It was Mau, with a bear-like build and enormous stature. Even from a distance, his menacing presence was evident. He shouted roughly at the confronting mercenaries, gesturing with his hands. And beside him stood Nia, a Droko, holding a short spear. Nia was pointing toward the sailing ship where Arina and Muidoc were.
Armed mercenaries continued to gather around the two. Mau's roars clashed against the cavern walls, echoing throughout the surroundings.
Arina nodded slowly.
"It seems they've come to rescue the Muwa you brought."
Her voice was sharp, but it carried a composure that suggested she had already grasped the situation.
Muidoc smiled lightly and bowed his head.
"My apologies. Even in Ixtarn, I've never once had anyone on my tail... This time, I let my guard down."
His words were gentle, but a subtle displeasure at his own mistake seeped through.
Arina gazed at her mercenaries moving below. They had already armed themselves and were heading toward Mau and Nia. A satisfied smile rose at the corners of her mouth.
"No need to worry. They'll handle it on their own. No matter how skilled that Dawi and Droko are, facing so many mercenaries is impossible. And it's just the two of them, right? It'll be over quickly, so let's watch if they prove the value of the gold I've invested."
"You're always efficient in commanding people, as I well know."
Muidoc nodded and responded to her words.
Without glancing at him, Arina added.
"More importantly, when will the preparation for that bird's dish be ready? If it takes too long, I wonder if Groi can wait."
Muidoc paused in thought for a moment, then smiled as he replied.
"It'll be ready soon. Enough for Groi to appreciate the value of waiting."
His eyes sparkled even in the faint light, and Arina nodded with satisfaction.
She stepped back to the railing and looked down again. The patterns of light and shadow flowing like waves over the lake cast eerie shadows on her face.
"Well then, I'll be off. You stay here and watch. I'll observe them a bit closer."
Arina lightly tapped the hilt of the sword at her waist and quickly descended below the deck. Muidoc, left alone, gazed downward once more.
The distant figures of the Dawi and Droko, surrounded by mercenaries, resembled pieces on a Lucta board, maneuvered with strategy and insight atop a wooden plane.
"This could turn interesting. But I'll stop spectating here; I can't leave our precious bird alone in the room."
A smile still lingered on his lips.
*****
Dallen was still tightly bound with leather straps. His body was relaxed from the spreading liquor, but his mind whirled in complexity. Muidoc's low, soft voice seemed to still echo in the room.
'Why did I end up trapped in this situation...? Who... has come to rescue me?'
As he tried to steady his foggy mind and catch his breath, the clamor from outside became even clearer. The sharp sounds of metal clashing against metal, mixed with someone's shouts, grew more distinct.
At that moment, a vibration as if something was moving outside the door reached him, along with a presence. The room's ceiling trembled faintly. Dust fell onto Dallen's blindfolded eyes and beak, filling his nostrils with a dry earthy scent that tickled.
'Is Muidoc returning?'
"Dallen, whether this commotion is thanks to your friends coming to rescue you or not, we'll find out soon. But before that, I'd like to finish the story I want to tell."
Muidoc's voice was calm, but it carried a subtle pressure toward his opponent.
Dallen had no choice but to track Muidoc's slow approach by tilting his ears this way and that. His footsteps were soft and slow, yet eerily clear in the silence filling the room. Muidoc shook the bottle of wine in his hand slowly, gazing at the liquid reflecting the light.
"Dallen..."
Muidoc said softly.
"The fear you're feeling right now is a perfectly natural emotion. Everyone fears what they don't understand."
Dallen swallowed hard. Even after gulping loudly, his throat began to dry again, and the lukewarm scent of the spirits rose gently, filling the air. That air spread like smoke, seeping deep into his lungs... But his bound body still wouldn't budge.
"But fear alone isn't enough."
Muidoc added slowly. His voice resonated with weight, mingling with the wine's aroma that filled the room.
"You're destined to be the most special gift for me and my companions heading to a new world... So, I hope you won't resist the preparation process that begins today. For example, don't wastefully spit out the finest figs and grapes I've procured from nearby."
Muidoc placed the bottle on the table, even that action unfolding with excruciating slowness. Each movement cast his shadow like long arms across the walls.
"...How can I prepare when I don't even know what will happen to me?"
Dallen muttered in a low voice, unknowingly. It sounded as if he were asking himself.
Muidoc smiled at those words. But that smile held something bizarre and inscrutable. He leaned slowly, bringing his face almost touching Dallen's.
"There are only two choices, Dallen. Accept or refuse. But I'll advise you in advance..."
His voice lowered to a whisper.
"Refusal only adds the process of pain."
Upon hearing that, Dallen's entire body froze. The fear wrapping around him grew so thick that even breathing became difficult.
Satisfied, Muidoc nodded and stepped back. He filled a glass with a bit of liquid from the bottle on the table. Lifting the glass, he swirled it lightly and said.
"Dallen, as you know, the truly delicious things in life always come with a price. The ecstasy of our lives is all the sweeter because those moments are brief..."
Before his words could finish, another sound echoed from far outside the room, reaching Dallen's ears. The sharp clangs of metal, followed by cries, seemed to draw closer.
Dallen's mind tangled in confusion.
'What is happening out there? Is it related to me? Or... could it really be Mau coming, as Muidoc said?'
But without time to think deeply, Muidoc's words cut through his turmoil.
"Don't mind those sounds."
Muidoc took a sip from the glass, set it down, and continued slowly.
"In this room, the only things that matter are you and me."
Muidoc placed the glass down and approached Dallen again. This time, his movements felt sharper and quicker than before.
Muidoc extended his hand, stopping near Dallen's face. His fingertips pointed at Dallen's chin.
"Don't be afraid, Dallen. Fear only stiffens the body."
Dallen couldn't respond to those words. In his mind, the ominous premonition that Muidoc would ultimately do the most horrific thing he could imagine only grew stronger.