Nodus Tollens ⇁ Bruno Madrigal

Three

Chapter Three
Semaphorism [ noun ]
A conversational hint that you have something personal to say on the subject but don't go any further.

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      The feeling in your legs finally came back, or were starting to come back. You groaned, struggling to push yourself off the ground, you wobbled as you stood on your feet, legs feeling like jelly - from an outside view you might have looked like a newly born fawn taking its first few steps.

Your ears picked up on a small almost inaudible laugh, slowly, you turned - and there was your guide, clearly holding back a laugh at your misfortune.

You took in a deep breath, your hand found itself gripped at one of the wooden railings that were staked into the ground, trying to stabilize yourself. "It's okay, you can laugh."

He quickly waved his hand, and tried to straighten his posture, he let out a cough. "Ohh uh no, no, I wasn't gonna." He was a terrible liar.

You laughed, rolling your eyes. "Right."

You looked up ahead, a path of stone carvings, they looked oddly familiar, you narrowed your eyes before glancing back towards Bruno. Ah. They resembled him, though those looked rather frightening, Bruno on the other hand looked like a hmm, well you couldn't think of a exact comparison, just that he looked kinda cute.

Bruno pursed his lips together, giving you a nervous smile, anxious at the way you stared, he knew it wasn't malicious, still it put him on edge. He took a step forward, which seemed to break you out of your staring state."We should go."

Right. You nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. No telling how long I'll be here. You thought, following after him, as the two of you made your way through the rather dimly lit tunnel, eyes glazing along the walls lined with stone face carvings and a strange abundance of vases.

You stopped.

What lies ahead of you looks like those large steel bank vaults you would always see in movies - but that's not what catches your eye - it's the thing just right beside it, a hazardously hanged plank of wood that looks like it seconds away from hitting the ground.

Bruno walked up towards it, taking a deep breath before giving it a hard knock - one. two. three times, all while repeating the words. "Knock on wood." He takes another deep breath, before opening the vault-like door.

Okay, so he's a bit superstitious. That would explain the salt that ended up being thrown in your face.

Bruno called out your name, soft and hesitant, waiting for you at the door, as he nervously fiddled with his ruana.

You smiled. "Coming!"

Over the years of you being alive - you had consumed a multitude of media that showed the different ways people could see the probable future; using cards, bones, stones, tea leaves and most commonly, magical crystal balls.

Bruno used none of those.

You sat in the center just like he had instructed.

You watched him with excitement and curiosity as he laid out a circle of sand around you. "Am I going to be used as a sacrifice?" You beamed, voice upbeat and cheerful.

Bruno stopped, sand pooling beneath his feet. "What?" He's never been asked that before, and why did you look so happy asking it.

You laughed. "I'm just messing with you. You looked a little bit . . . tense? Just wanted to loosen you up a bit. There's nothing to be worried about, Bruno. I mean, you've done this lots of times before, right?"