"... so she was telling the truth huh? I'll have to apologizes next time I see her" April awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she stared wide eye at the mess caused be the tree, bow apologetically to no one before she turned on her head, following Ella.
Sure enough, Ella followed the dirt trail alongside Hannah.
The pink-haired girl was in the cave with three wooden mummies. She noticed when the two humans entered the cave. "So you hags were working with the hag. You're just gonna seed me too, right?"
"It's either that or continue to let you bully people," Ella said. "Bullying is but a symbol of insecurity, and the fact that you actively choose to hide your face behind a mask makes your insecurities far more apparent."
((The one time I decide to have a Hornkin reveal their face, and it's based on the fact that bullies bully other people to mask their insecurities. I ain't kidding, mate!:
https://www.verywellmind.com/why-do-peop...ly-5187244 ))
"I mean .... you really think you get away with stealing something? Especially from the ... I guess local police?" April answered, shrugging her shoulders.
"It's not hers to begin wi-" A seed shot from the entrance and bound and silenced the Hornkin. From the mouth of the cave, the haggard Hornkin drudged in. "Ah, you two have captured these troublemakers and even found my statue. Well done."
The Hornkin stamped her staff and animated shrubs carried the four wooden mummies out of the cave, another standing next to the girls. "As promised, you will be escorted to the exit without further issues."
"Wait a minute," Ella asked. "Where did this fourth wooden mummy come from? We only had to deal with three girls."
"The proper term is statue. Though that one is very special to me." The Hornkin started to depart from the cave.
"Mmh, fair enough." Ella said. And so, Ella started moving along.
".... statue? does that mean that the statue....." April hummed to herself in thought, wondering out loud as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, watching the Hornkin walk off, before she decided to get check something, the statue the town captain told them they find the trouble makers.
"Hmm?" Ella turned around. "Where are you going? We did what she wanted."
"just checking something, go on without me"
Ella thought it over, then shook her head. "Nah. I can't leave a friend behind. I'm going with you."
It was too late. After the Hornkin had departed, there was no trace of where she or her "statues" had gone.
After some fruitless searching, the only other person they met was Azuros the red-scarved Hornkin writing a book in a boat. "How do you know if you got the good ending?"
"All I can say is 'perseverance.'"
"dang it! .... well, it was worth a shot" April sighed, shaking her head as she made her way back, heading to one of the exits to the next area's
Ella followed Hannah (obviously to discuss further plans with Hannah), but not before hearing Azuros' response.
"Perseverance, eh?" Azuros wrote that down in his book. "Well, Lake Oobleck's shut down because of a murder mystery. Probably not your strong suit, so I guess you gotta persevere and press forward."
If the girls want to leave the swamp and towards the Queen, they can head towards the industrial hot spot Synthorn or the spooky tomb Sand Tomb.
"Well, guess we're here," Ella said. "Devon had said that should we reach their respective tunnels, we can head over to Sand Tomb, Lake Oobleck, or some place called 'Elysium' should we have arrived in Peanut Swamp from Synnamon Town, which we did. Both Devon and Azuros brought up Synthorn as well. Yet Azuros said Lake Oobleck is closed down due to a murder mystery, so... Maybe our best best is to move forward then backtrack whenever we can." Ella said. "Question is, where do you wanna go first? I picked Peanut Swamp, so it's fair that I let you pick, April."
((Direct quote of Devonn's statement for reference:
Quote:"Using Peanut Swamp as an example, after you arrive there from Synnamon Hill, you can head to the Lake, Esylum and Sand Tomb after you reach their tunnels. That would, of course, involve crossing the town to reach them as the edges are ill-suited for travel." Devonn explained.
Ella remembered something that Devon brought up yet Azuros didn't. ))
"can't go to the lake, so either Sand Tomb or Elysium" April, hummed in thought weighing her options, "Sand Tomb sounded pretty self explanatory and Elysium could be another town ... maybe? I say Elysium."