The group began to move again, and Miram ensconced her wings which had been brushing against the walls and swiping off the shins and shanins.
She turned around to face Mike as they walked down the narrow passageway, walking backward.
"Another fact about the shins and shanins," she began. "The shins can heal us when we get injured. We just place them on our wounds, and they emit some fluid that repairs our damaged skin."
She turned around briefly to ensure she was walking in the right direction before turning back to Mike. "And the shanins, they can heal us from any kind of poison in this world. We just place them on our body, and they use their mouthparts to suck out the poison."
However, Mike remained silent, his gaze fixed on something beyond. Miram began to feel ignored and waved her hands frantically to jolt Mike's attention back to her.
"Are you listening to me, my Jyuran?" she asked, but Mike remained unresponsive.
"Oh my God!" Mike finally muttered under his breath, still staring ahead of her.
Miram, curious, turned around, following Mike's gaze, and she gasped when she beheld the breathtaking sight before her.
The passageway opened up into a vast underground space filled with towering structures and bustling with activity.
Garo gestured grandly to the vast expanse before them. "Welcome to the village of Perebia," she said. "Underground village, actually."
The entire village unfolded before Mike's eyes, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a quaint village on Earth, albeit with one striking distinction - an infinitely high and boundless ceiling stretched above it, seemingly merging with the heavens.
This subterranean settlement teemed with Anthropters of diverse ages, sizes, and genders, each going about their daily lives with purposeful intent.
Mike's gaze wandered through the village and he marveled at the meticulously crafted houses, which seemed to be the epitome of architectural perfection.
The structures were built by carefully laying gemstones upon one another, held together by a mysterious binding agent that resembled mud.
The windows, crafted from crystalline rocks, sparkled like polished jewels, while the roofs, constructed from the same mud-like substance, were smooth and slippery to the touch.
The houses varied in size, with some towering above twenty feet in height and spanning ten meters in width. The dimensions of each dwelling seemed to be carefully calibrated to accommodate the specific needs of its residents, with larger families residing in more spacious abodes.
As Mike's eyes roved through the village, he spotted a group of young Anthropters perched precariously on the steep edges of the roofs, their slender bodies ensconced in seemingly impossible positions, oblivious to the danger that lurked beneath.
His gaze eventually drifted towards the entrance of the passageway they had just exited, where his eyes narrowed as he focused on the warning inscribed on the rock face, mere inches above the entrance. The words are etched in bold, unmistakable letters.
"Off limit, Council Only." he read out the ominous warning in a whisper.
As his gaze lingered on the inscription, he realized that it was written in a language he had encountered before - the same cryptic symbols that adorned the pages of the 'Legend of Perebia' book he had stumbled upon just a few nights ago, the fateful night he became a Jyuran.
Back then, the language had mysteriously shifted to English, allowing him to decipher its secrets. However, in this instance, the inscription remained in its original form, yet Mike found himself able to read it with uncanny ease, as though he had been familiar with the language for years.
This unexpected revelation sparked a maelstrom of thoughts within his mind. He pondered the possibility that the language hadn't actually changed when he read the book, but rather, he had somehow intuitively understood it.
But how could that be? He hadn't become a Jyuran at that point, so what could have enabled him to grasp the language?
The questions swirled in his mind, refusing to yield to a clear explanation. Garo turned to face him and Miram, noticing their captivated gazes fixed on the inscription.
"Only the council of Arado is permitted to enter the cavern," she said, seeking to dispel any confusion. Her voice interrupted Mike's reverie, jolting him back to reality.
Mike shifted his attention forward, continuing their journey through the village. The soft, ethereal glow of the shins and shanins illuminated the surroundings, casting an otherworldly light on the structures and inhabitants.
The gentle luminescence and his super sight allowed Mike to see everything around him with perfect clarity, from the intricate details of the nearby houses to the distant reaches of the village.
Mike suddenly glanced towards a group of peculiar Anthropters, situated approximately fifteen meters or so away.
What struck him as odd was that both the young and adult members of this group were wingless, and their stature was noticeably shorter than that of the typical Anthropters.
Mike's enhanced Jyuran vision allowed him to scrutinize the strange Anthropters with crystal clarity. As he took in their unusual appearance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
Their eyes resembled those of snakes, with vertical pupils that seemed to gleam with an unsettling intensity. Their elongated ears were disproportionately long, extending far beyond the normal proportions of an Anthropter's ears.
Additionally, their noses were reminiscent of those found on rodents, and their teeth were jagged and uneven.
Many of these strange creatures donned clothing crafted from an impenetrable iron-like material, which seemed to be a testament to their formidable nature.
Despite the cumbersome appearance of their attire, the strange Anthropters moved with surprising speed and agility, darting in and out of their short, wide houses with ease.
"They are the clan of Kanto," Garo, noticing Mike's unnerving gaze, chuckled and came to a halt.
Mike turned to her to ask for more details, only to find out Miram was even more invested in the creatures than he initially was.
"They were appointed after the fall of Jyuran Jran, tasked with the duty of guarding the kingdom's walls along with the warriors, protecting its people from invaders," Garo continued. "The Kanto clan is renowned for their ferocity, agility, and extensive experience in warfare. They possess extraordinary strength, making them a formidable force to be reckoned with."
"What about their wings?" Mike asked. "How do they protect the kingdom from aerial threats when they are unable to fly?"
"They don't require wings, my Jyuran," Garo replied. "The Kantos are Air-walkers. They possess the extraordinary ability to defy gravity."
"Air-walkers?" Mike echoed. "What does that mean?"
"It means they can walk on air," Miram said.
"Like Bingos?!" Mike exclaimed.
"Yes, my Jyuran," Garo nodded vigorously. "I've heard that the Kantos don't originate from our planet. Their homeworld faced a catastrophic threat many years ago, and Jyuran Bielo, who possessed the krara at that time, managed to rescue a family of four, saving them from the brink of extinction."
"Look at them now – they've thrived and even surpassed us in population."
"But… how's that possible?"
"The Kantos have a… should I call it a unique reproductive system? where they mate with each other; children from the same parents reproduce amongst themselves."
"Damn, That's gross!" Mike muttered, his face twisted in disgust, clearly taken aback by this unusual aspect of the Kanto culture.
"We all shared your sentiment initially, my Jyuran," Garo said, smiling. "However, that's an integral part of their existence. On the other hand, one trait that truly sets the Kantos apart is their unwavering loyalty. When a partner passes away, the surviving spouse remains single until they grow old and eventually pass on."
Mike nodded thoughtfully. "That's truly remarkable – their loyalty to each other is unshakable," he said. "I can appreciate that, even if their ability to defy gravity and walk on air like Bingos seems unbelievable."
"Actually, the Kantos and Bingos share a common origin," Garo said. "When Jyuran Bielo rescued the Kanto family many years ago, their two loyal Bingos followed them."
"How are you even aware of the Kantos' history?" Miram asked, scanning Garo's face. "Were you alive during that time?"
"It's probably from storytelling and tales," Mike suggested, his gaze still fixed on the young Kantos as they frolicked and played in the air, their laughter and chirping could be heard from the distance.
They laid down, turned upside down, and moved about with ease as if an invisible ground supported their feet and body.
"We should proceed, my Jyuran," Garo's voice broke the spell, prompting Mike to return to the present.
She guided him forward and the trio continued their journey side by side, delving deeper into the underground village.