"Ahh, who are you? Sir, I don't want any trouble. Please, let me go." said the lady in alarm and rushed for the cabin's entrance.
The Shadow Slave blocked her path.
"Sir, I have nothing to do with this human. Please, spare me." The lady pleaded.
"Miss, my master is speaking to you. Have a seat on the couch." the Shadow Slave said with a stern face.
"Huh! He, he, he is your master?!" the lady was even more confused as a Snake-man calling a slave human youth a master. The first thing that came to her mind was the terrorist group in the Central continent, the Human Revolutionary Party.
Having no choice left, she took a deep breath and sat on the couch. "Sir, are you a member of the HRP?"
"HRP? Never heard of them before." Bobby responded, and gave an eye signal to his Shadow Slave.
Shadow Slave nodded, took out a box, unboxed it, and place it on the table.
Bobby took a piece from the box and took a small bite. "It's good. You should try it... Go on," he said.
With hesitation, the lady picked up another piece. She sniffed on it and took a nibble. "Ah! So good." Then, with no care, she wolfed down on it and asked with a mouth, "What is it called? I've never eaten something this soft, sweet-savory food before."
"It's called pizza, and we humans created it," Bobby said, picking another crust.
"Pizza! It must be a favorite specialty for everyone on the Central Continent." The lady said while picking up the last crust.
"Nope, never been there." Bobby waited for her to finish having it. Then he continued, "Alright miss, since you refuse to give me your name, then I'll go first."
He stood up and introduced himself once again. "I've come from another world called Earth, where we humans are the apex of the food chain. And the pizza we have just now is also something I brought along from there."
He then crouched down and asked, "Now it's your turn."
Learning that the youth before her were from a different world, the lady was shocked and responded, "Earth! T-then, you mean the hell." There was still a look of distrust shown on her face.
"So people here consider earth as hell. Ahahaha!" Bobby burst into booming laughter. "Anyway, I don't care whether you believe me. Or not. Just tell me everything you know about this world, and I'll reward you handsomely. Maybe I could free you from slavery. Shadow Slave!"
The Shadow Slave pulled out a large silk pouch and dropped it on the table before her.
The lady quickly checked the pouch and saw over a thousand human teeth in it. "Is it for me?" she asked.
"Yes, let's start from there," Bobby responded and then whispered while making a face, "Ugh, these people here are so horrible. Of all the things around, why would they have to use human teeth as a currency? Barbarous!"
The lady pondered in her head, 'The way he talks and the way he acts differ from any human I ever met. This means either he is mad or speaking the truth. But considering the way, this powerful Nagin is serving him. Perhaps he is someone he claims himself to be… Then this is my chance. I must hang onto this.'
Then she opened her mouth. "Sir, Layla is my good name. But before I continue, can I ask you why this Nagin is calling you master?"
Bobby grinned at her, stood up, and jumped onto the couch. "Shadow Slave, you tell her."
Shadow Slave slithered in front of them and yelled, "Released!" After that, a mist of black smoke flew out from the Snake-man's body and materialized into a grotesque-looking, three-headed humanoid creature with a tail. Then he spoke in an eerie-sounding tone, "Miss Layla, a week ago, my master had subdued this snake-man….Nagin whatever thing and helped me possess it." Then he turned into a mist of black energy, re-entered Nagin Jugo's body, and slithered toward the entrance.
"Okay, now I believe you. Respected sir, I'll do anything for you but can you please bring me along with you to that…. um… earth?"
"Sure, but I thought you people here believe it to be hell, no?" Bobby responded.
"Hell, hahaha!" Layla continued laughing dryly, "I freaking hate this place. Even the hell sounds fancier to me. And I will do anything to get there and eat this–pizza again."
Later, she told him everything she knew about this place, the Tenderloin World. About the three continents, and ended with everything she knew about this Nagin species.
"So, we are in Red Python Prefecture, somewhere in the Southern part of the Eastern Muxia World," Bobby muttered softly to himself and asked after realizing something, "Lady Layla, have you perhaps heard anything about Medusa or the three Gorgon sisters?"
"Yes, as far as I've known my entire life, the Medusa is their goddess." Layla continued, "All snake-man people worship her every day and in everything they do, they will relate it to the name of Medusa. One time, I heard Goddess Medusa is in the Gordon Temple on the Shivagiri Central Continent."
"Interesting!" Bobby uttered. With his permission, Layla stayed with them there.
Two days passed, and all this time, they remained inside their cabin.
While Bobby and Layla were having breakfast, they heard a loud boom and felt a huge tremor, followed by a commotion from the outside.
The tremor continued.
"Something is happening outside. Let's go." Bobby said and walked out of their cabin.
Just as he walked outside, someone with an ax attacked him.
"Oh, a Rakshasa!" Bobby blocked it, caught him by his neck, and walked back inside the cabin. Then he slapped the Rakshasa across his face, knocking him down on the floor, and said, "Layla, come here."
The lady sauntered toward him and said, seeing the red tiger tattoo on the Rakshasa's forehead, "Sir, I know what is going on here. We're being attacked by the Red Tiger Rak?a Pirate group."
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m