God Complex - Vol. 1

XXXIII. Shanghaied-Part VII.

Jun opened his eyes to a brightly lit wooden ceiling.

He quickly sat up and looked around frantically. Sámávad was squatting next to him, with the snake draped around his neck.

They both were reading some book, but stopped when Jun started to speak.

"What did—" Jun looked over at his left arm and pulled up the sleeve. The wound was completely healed with no signs of scarring, "—how did you?"

"Thank Mälándi," Sámávad petted the top of the snake's head, "but shoo already. You've overstayed your welcome."

With that, Jun was dismissed with a wave as Sámávad stood up and walked back to his table.

Jun took a few seconds to process what just happened before standing up as well. He moved his newly healed arm around and it felt absolutely amazing.

Plus all of the fatigue he had accumulated on his journey thus far was gone as well.

"Thank you so much, Sámávad," Jun then looked at the snake while he did a small bow of his head, "and Mälandí."

"Yeah off with you." And air of irritation was heard in his voice as he sat down in his chair. Jun looked at him and the snake before awkwardly making his way to the stairs.

"Wait!" Jun said as he stopped climbing the stairs.

A deep breath came from Sámávad as he didn't bother to turn around. "What do you want now?!"

Jun nervously messed with his bowstring. "You said that there was an Easterner here earlier. Wh-where is he?"

"He's probably dead by now. He had already looked like he was about to keel over when I had met him. So leave!"

Though Sámávad sounded like he was about ready to beat the daylights out of him, Jun was determined to meet this Easterner. To figure out why in the world an Easterner would decide to live out here.

And to talk to a likeminded person.

"Please, sir, at least tell me where he lives." He expected to be turned down as there was a long pause. But Jun was surprised when Sámávad eventually gestured for him to come over. He abided and quickly made his way next to the cynical Northerner.

"I don't remember much. Okay. It's been a little over half a century already." Sámávad pointed near the border of Kordegórmuni and Kordebławaznesco. "But the man did say something about heading up North. Wanting to reside in the boonies or some shit. So he should be around the border of the two kingdoms here. As there's very few villages near the mountains."

"Thank you so much!" Jun thanked happily as he did a small bow of his head.

"You sound a little too happy." Sámávad and Mälándi gave him a concerned look. Jun didn't even know how a snake could give a concerned look.

"What...do you mean by that?"

"You know that that particular mountain pass, Drake's Mouth, is called that for a reason." Jun bit his lip as he looked down.

"Because?" Sámávad pinched the bridge of his nose. He seemed to have gotten quickly irritated once again.

"Because it's infested by—you know what. Find out yourself." Jun guessed that he really overstayed his visit and went to leave once again. Plus Arkshan was also known to have very little patience.

"Oh by the way," Sámávad suddenly said, causing Jun to turn around, "Where you from?"

Jun didn't know how he was going to even respond to this sudden question. But it was the most he could do to repay Sámávad for irritating him. "Huaza...why?"