Deus Necros

The giant had no intention of following them. Instead, it approached the cubes stacked beside the entrance and picked up the first one. With the same steady movements as before, it carried the enormous structure back into place, then returned for another. Cube by cube, the canyon entrance began closing behind them.

Celine stopped and looked back. "It’s sealing us in."

Ludwig watched the remaining daylight narrow. The giant showed no anger or urgency as it worked. It was simply completing the second half of its task: open the path, allow the travelers inside, then close the path behind them.

The final cube slid into place, and the last trace of pale light disappeared. They stood inside the canyon with the exit completely sealed behind them. For several seconds, the only sounds were the hollow footsteps of the tribesmen and the faint scrape of Redd’s boots against the stone.

Ludwig turned forward again. "That was something."

"I think I’ve figured out what this is," Kaiser said.

"You figured it out?"

"Probably."

"Your confidence is inspiring."

"It should be."

Ludwig gave him a tired look. "Care to share?"

Kaiser glanced back toward the sealed entrance. "Sloth never intended to hide from these people."

Celine frowned. "Then why the cubes?"

"To control how they arrive and what they remember. Perhaps even to control whether they are truly arriving at all."

Ludwig looked toward the tribesmen walking ahead. Kaiser continued in a voice low enough that it would not carry far through the canyon.

"Sloth beckons the curious. People hear rumors, find the white structures, and venture deeper. Eventually, the hypnosis strips away their conscious minds and leads them to the giant."

"The giant opens the way," Ludwig said.

"Yes. The visitors enter and are taken deeper into Sloth’s territory, where they presumably admire whatever he wishes them to see."

"Admire?" Tull could not respond, but Celine sounded doubtful enough for him.

"Observe, worship, fear, misunderstand. Their precise reaction might not matter."

Ludwig glanced back toward the wall sealing them inside. "And then Sloth allows them to leave?"

Kaiser nodded slowly. "Most of them."

His gaze lingered in the direction of the pile of bones outside, and Ludwig noticed.

"That explains the bones?"

"Nah," Kaiser said. "The giant probably took one or two snacks while people were leaving."

Celine’s eyes narrowed. "You said it wasn’t hostile."

"I said it was not hostile while carrying out its task. Once it opens the path for people to leave, perhaps it is allowed to eat whoever walks too slowly."

"That is a concerning distinction."

"It is an important one."

Cain looked toward the sealed entrance. "Then the bones belonged to previous groups."

"Likely. Unless the giant collects them for decoration, which would be less practical but considerably more charming."

"No," Celine said.

Kaiser shrugged, while Ludwig returned his attention to the dark path ahead. "You said there was an issue."

"There is a rather large one."

Kaiser walked alongside the unconscious tribesmen, studying their empty faces. "Why does Sloth allow them to come inside?"

"So they can see him," Ludwig said.

"Yes, but why?"

"To frighten them."

"Fear fades."

"To make them submit."

"They already have."

"To spread stories."

"They cannot clearly remember the journey."

Ludwig’s expression tightened as Kaiser tapped one finger against the cover of his notebook.

"That is the problem," Kaiser said. "The cubes erase the path, dull the mind, and reduce visitors to unconscious pilgrims. Despite that, Sloth allows them to reach somewhere close enough to see his domain before sending them back."

"Most of them," Ludwig said.

"Most of them," Kaiser agreed. "Enough to carry tales back. Enough to guide future groups here without understanding how. Enough to preserve their curiosity."

Celine looked deeper into the dark canyon. "Maybe it wants worship."

"Possible, but Sloth does not strike me as a creature that needs praise. Praise requires attention, while maintaining followers requires effort. Both seem contrary to its nature."

Cain’s gaze sharpened. "Then perhaps it is showing them something other than itself."

Kaiser smiled faintly. "There we are."

Ludwig looked between them. "It wants them to see something else."

"Or experience something," Kaiser said. "Something they cannot consciously remember, yet remains buried deeply enough to lead them back."

Ludwig watched the tribesmen walking ahead. Their minds had forgotten this road, but their bodies still knew it. The memory was gone, while the instruction remained.

"What does it want to show them?" Ludwig asked.

Kaiser looked deeper into the canyon. The path gradually descended between towering walls of stone and immense white cubes embedded within the rock. Some protruded halfway from the canyon walls, as though the mountain had grown around them. Others stood in the center of the passage and forced the unconscious guides to weave between them.

"That," Kaiser said, "is exactly what worries me."

"And why allow them to leave afterward?"

Kaiser’s smile disappeared. "So they can bring something back."

The words lingered in the cold canyon air as Ludwig tightened his grip around Durandal.

"Information?"

"Perhaps."

"A message?"

"Possibly."

"A curse?"

"More likely."

Celine looked toward Tull and Redd. "Then we should wake them."

"We cannot do that while the field remains active," Kaiser said.

"Then we carry them back."

"The entrance is sealed."

"We can break through."

"And alert whatever waits deeper inside before learning anything useful."

Ludwig looked ahead. The tribesmen continued descending without hesitation, their bodies following a path buried beneath their conscious minds. They were leading the group deeper into Sloth’s territory and toward a trap designed to use intruders instead of simply killing them.

The canyon walls rose higher around them, and the light from the entrance had vanished completely. Somewhere ahead, a faint white glow reflected against the stone.

Ludwig drew Durandal fully. "We keep moving."

Celine looked at him. "Even after everything we just concluded?"

"We’ve already triggered the trap. If we turn around before learning what it does, we risk walking into it twice."

Kaiser nodded approvingly. "Very mature."

"I can still throw you at the next monster."

"You would miss my insight."

"I’d survive."

Cain moved closer to the front of the procession. "The path narrows ahead."

Ludwig looked toward the faint glow. The unconscious tribesmen walked directly toward it, followed by Tull, Redd, and the shapeless spirit of Redd’s sister.

The giant had opened the way and sealed it behind them. Somewhere deeper inside the canyon, Sloth had prepared something worth showing to those who entered. Whatever awaited them was important enough that he allowed survivors to leave without any conscious memory of what they had witnessed.

Ludwig followed the procession into the darkness. Whatever Sloth wanted them to witness, he intended to remember it.

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