Chapter 132: [Belarus] - Next Step
After the mentioning of the rakshasa in India, Oz started to question Ifum more on the subject however the giant elder seemed to only have a simple baseline knowledge of what was going on. At this point in time Oz wasn't sure whether this creature was simply a beast being labelled as a 'rakshasa' or 'devil' or if the creature was actually a devil-like being. The latter prospect made Oz's head turn with possibilities as to what could be hidden in this wizarding world.
The feast continued long into the night and the giants very quickly got merry after drinking. Oz's ears started to bleed at the constant mentions of spars and such however he eventually got used to it and just trained himself to reply frankly and quickly so no situations would arise. As the feast was coming to a close Oz turned to an inebriated Ifum wanting to ask one last question now that the giant elder had 'loosened' up.
("Ifum, What happened to Karkus. When I came here initially I imagined him being here and being the gurg however instead you were in his place and Golgomath was the prodigy you named...").
Ifum's merry mood seemed to grow sombre and cold for a moment as she pondered on what to say. After some thinking she smacked her thigh with a resounding slap and began to explain with an annoyed expression.
("Karkus was indeed the Gurg not too long ago... However that giant was far too civil for mine and many other giants liking. He wanted to preserve the giant race as our tribes around the world are dwindling. He placed a ban on infighting and wanted us to spar civilly. Some giants followed under him but the majority deemed his goals naïve. After all brutal battles is what drives us giants forward. Having to pull our punches would frustrate us to no end. Eventually that frustration grew into hatred and we decided to attack")
Ifum grabbed a piece of raw meat as she talked, biting into it violently. The chewing sounds resounded as she continued her story.
("Karkus despite his skewed values was gurg for a reason though... He fended us off easily and killed off many of the giants that were wanting to kill him. During the prolonged fight however he eventually got worn out. As this happened, Golgomath seemed to appear out of nowhere and charged Karkus fighting him one on one. Golgomath easily dispatched of Karkus in front of my eyes, beheading him brutally and holding his head in his hands. Seeing this scene I was all but ready to call Golgomath the new gurg however...")
Ifum furrowed her brow as she continued.
("For some reason Golgomath refused the position. He stated he would 'claim it later when the time was right' and threw me the head of Karkus to take back to the tribe. At this point I was the only giant remaining in this brawl against Karkus and his crew so Golgomath probably just chose me as a 'matter of course'. This sort of behaviour especially from Golgomath was something I had never ever seen before in a giant. I felt dirty as I took 'false valour' back to the tribe however when I was rose to the position of gurg and indulged myself in its benefits I began to lose my guilt... Yet the position I was in was that of a puppet. Golgomath was labelled 'prodigy' so he could do what he wanted and I had to live day by day basically waiting for him to eventually usurp me").
Ifum sighed as she looked down at the half eaten meat in her hand. A listless expression filling her face.
("I constantly questioned his motives... that Golgomath. Why did he want to wait to take the gurg position? How did he seem to appear at the exact time Karkus was worn out and vulnerable? His movements since that day seemed to be veiled in mystery and I could never decipher them. He seemed to respond to my commands once in a while but sometimes just outright ignored me completely. His only interests were fighting and bloodshed. Honestly Oz, you were a welcome surprise to this tribe and... a saviour of mine honestly. With Golgomath dead I feel way more at ease and my position as gurg is now solidified despite me not really 'earning' it")
The expression on Ifum's face began to soften as she looked gratefully at Oz. Meanwhile Oz sat with a stoic yet also confused expression. He wasn't all that privy to the inner workings of giants before this trip to the giants forest however hearing this elaborate usurping and random passing of power from Golgomath it took hardly any brainpower to realise that the events were strange. Oz started to kick himself for not question Golgomath and even felt slight anger towards Ifum at the fact she only mentioned this all now instead of before the fight wherein Oz ended up killing Golgomath.
'I can only think of one possibility that Golgomath had connections to death eaters... With the death eaters moving much sooner due to that rat in the order they may have tried to make connections with the tribe sooner... Another butterfly effect occurred and for some reason Golgomath was influenced to go down this route instead of just taking the gurg position off the bat... the gurg position'.
("Ifum, how much uhh... 'freedom' do you get in your position as gurg").
Ifum started to howl with laughter as tears filled her eyes. Looking down at Oz she began to work out a sentence amidst the laughter.
("Freedom?! Thats the best joke I've heard in a while! I'm constantly managing this whole tribe I hardly have any time for myself! I wish I had some damn freedom HAHAHAC")
Oz eyes flashed as he thought of something. Maybe Golgomath didn't take the Gurg position as the death eaters needed manpower due to the abrupt movements of the order in this timeline. If he took the Gurg position like he did in the original canon he would have been locked to the tribe until the final battle. With him donning this 'prodigy' role however he was allowed to wonder aimlessly out of the tribe and help the death eaters combat the mobilising order that was looking for Horcruxes under Oz's instruction.
'That would explain a lot... Golgomath most definetly came into contact with some other death eaters before killing Karkus and they managed to convince and coerce him into enacting this plan'.
In Oz's mind, this scenario was the only thing that made sense in regards to this whole gurg situation. Maybe there were some more missing links here however considering how the canon was changing every second nowadays Oz could comfortably guess that the situation was as he surmised. The confusion laced on his face seemed to wither away as he felt at ease with his 'answers' he had gathered.
"Master... I think we should head back now..."
Oz turned to Alfreda who seemed to be looking concerned. As Oz clocked her expression he looked around at the giants who were feasting and drinking. The crowd was seemingly getting incredibly rowdy and looking at the expressions on the different giants faces it looked like a bunch of brawls could start at any moment.
Oz picked himself up alongside Alfreda. Both of them nodded towards Ifum and thanked her for the feast explaining that they were tired and needed rest.
("You little wizards really wear out easy... I thought your stamina was great Oz after seeing that fight with Golgomath but I guess that was all adrenaline")
Bidding a swift farewell Oz and Alfreda quickly worked their way through the giant crowd that seemed to be getting rowdier by the second. Just as the approached the forest at the edge of the center clearing they turned around to see that multiple brawls had started.
"I had a feeling that would happen...".
Alfreda wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as her hunch proved correct. Giants who sparred daily drinking so much in a feast was bound to end up in a brutal punch up or two over something stupid. Getting caught in between all of that would just end up being exhausting for both Oz and Alfreda.
"Thank god for that ward that blocks out sound around our tent... let's head back quick Alfreda".
Both Oz and Alfreda headed back into the forest and towards their tent, leaving the brawling giants to their devices.
.
As Oz and Alfreda arrived back at the tent Alfreda immediately began to make her and Oz a proper meal considering they couldn't eat much of the 'feast' prepared for them. Oz sat down at the table in the centre of the tent and began to think about what his next goal was.
The rakshasa mentioned in the India was an extremely enticing beast to Oz. As Ifum described it, the beast could turn invisible at will. If the Ambrosius ritual allowed Oz to retain the abilities of some of the beasts he absorbed would he be able to get this demons invisibility? Compared to the cloaking spells invoked by magic it could be much more powerful in comparison and maybe even undetectable. After all so many ministries had gathered to hunt the beast which was a testament to the beasts ability at hiding. Imagining having that ability for himself made Oz's eyes shine with greed.
"Heart of a dragon, Tear and feather of a phoenix, Troll's blood, Fluffy's fur, Basilisks eyes, Nundu Barbs, Wampus cat eyes, Dementor's core, Aragog's web sac and now the heart of Golgomath... I've certainly gathered quite the collection of materials for this ritual".
Oz let out a satisfied smile as he thought of everything he had gathered to this point. Alfreda brought over her and Oz's meal and sat down opposite Oz ready to start eating.
"Don't you think its getting a bit... too much though master?".
"Merlin stated this ritual could only be enacted once so skimping on it seems ridiculous at this point... I'm sure the more materials the more difficult the fusing process will be however if I want to gain as much profit from this ritual as possible its a risk I have to take".
Alfreda let out a soft sigh as she realised her master was set in his ways. She could already tell what his next course of action was.
"You want to go to India next don't you?".
Oz felt as though a heavy weight hit his shoulder as Alfreda called him out so abruptly.
"I-I mean... the rakshasa sounds really interesting right? Also with all the ministries gathering it may be a good place to start gaining connections as Lee Oswald".
Alfreda let out a slight giggle at her masters 'easy-to-read' nature at times. Both of them continued to eat their meal whilst exchanging random conversation. Nearing the end of the meal Oz slowed moving the fork to his mouth as he thought of something.
"Alfreda... Is there anywhere you want to go on this trip?".
The elf that was eating regally before seemed to jolt at Oz's question. A warm feeling filled her heart as she realised her master was looking out for her.
"I mean surely there's some place you have in mind you want to go to right?".
Alfreda sat in silence for a while at Oz's questioning before finally answering.
"I would like to go to my kingdom... or at least what's probably left of it now".
"The elf kingdom? You mean the one you were princess of before Merlin took you away?".
Alfreda nodded as she started to speak more.
"I'd imagine by now the sands of times have taken over that place, its probably just ruins now. However despite that I'd love to see it again in this lifetime...".
Alfreda looked up at the ceiling of the tent with a longing expression, nostalgia filling her eyes. Oz felt suffocated seeing this scene feeling sorry for this elf who was locked away in Stonehenge for so long, ordered to wait for Merlin's descendant.
"Where is the kingdom located?".
"It's location is in... well you call it Scotland now. A place called 'Galloway forest'".
Oz nodded hearing the location of the elf kingdom. Galloway forest was the largest forest within Britain. Considering how elves seemed to have an affinity towards 'nature' it made sense they would reside there.
"After we finish going to all these different countries, lets take a trip there shall we?".
Alfreda looked at her master with teary eyes and nodded in affirmation. Oz reached over the table and patted her head with a smile as he stated;
"Easy now, we still got a long way to go till we end up there. Save the tears for when you get back there".
Alfreda blushed slightly and immediately wiped her tears away and put back on her cool and collected expression. She swiftly collected the dishes on the table and started to clean them with simple magic leaving Oz on the table by himself to his thoughts.
'Honestly I want to head straight to India as soon as possible... but...'.
Oz took out the translator fitted in his ear and placed it on the table in front of him. This was the magic device that Ifum had given him so he could communicate with her easily.
'Language has constantly been a barrier on this journey. So far I've gotten pretty lucky however going to India where multiple ministries are meeting up from different countries? I would need interpreters left right and centre... This device here is a good baseline. Maybe studying this I can make my own translator that can translate most if not all languages'.
As Oz looked at the little magical translator he was honestly shocked at the amount of runes and magic placed within such a small device. Trying to comprehend how such a thing was made would take him a long time even though he was pretty proficient and making magical artifacts at this point.
'Although the giants here are loud and honestly somewhat annoying I cant deny that fighting them would help me improve in hand to hand combat... Maybe staying here for a month sparring in the day and working on this at night could be the way to go...'.
Oz's mind seemed to be set on this idea as it came to mind. He desired to get this language situation sorted as quickly as possible however unfortunately for him it would take time to make a translator that was capable of translating any language it came into contact with and in reverse allowed him to talk in that language despite having no knowledge of that language. Honestly just thinking of the concept made it seem impossible however Oz felt deep down he could figure it out and in no less than a month since he had this giant-tongue translator as a baseline.
Alfreda finished cleaning up and headed back to the table where Oz was. Seeing him stare intently at the translator on the table she could imagine what was going through his mind.
"So master... what's our next course of action~".
Oz sighed as he let out a weak smile.
"I think we will be staying in this forest for a while..."
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